


Without A Map

by LaLainaJ



Series: Without A Map [1]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, Alternate Universe - Human, Bets & Wagers, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Roommates, Travel, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-11 06:32:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 68,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4425065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLainaJ/pseuds/LaLainaJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AH-AU. Answer to a Klaroweek prompt. Caroline's spent months planning the perfect Caribbean getaway, the only snag being that Klaus was tagging along. But she'd deal with it (and use Stefan and Rebekah as handy buffers). However, last minute disaster means they have to stay at home. So it's just her, and Klaus. And one suite, with one bed. And twelve days. So not what she'd signed on for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> This was a Klaroweek prompt from peachyforbes that kind of snowballed. Title from the song by the Sam Roberts Band.

**DAY ONE: DEPARTURE**

"Hello?" Caroline answers her phone with a (fully justified!) level of annoyance. She has planned this trip to perfection and everyone, except for her obviously, is running late. She's been sitting in the airport lounge, silently fuming for twelve minutes. And that is just not acceptable.

"Hey Care," is the cautious reply she receives.

"Oh, hello Stefan. So nice of you to call. Instead of, you know, showing up at our preapproved meeting place at the specified time."

"About that…"

Stefan trails off and a trickle of worry bleeds into her irritation.

"Don't kill me, Caroline."

Caroline relaxes slightly as, if something was actually wrong, Stefan wouldn't be worried about his slow, excruciating, creative, death by her hands.

"Literally every time you've said that sentence in the ten and a half years I've known you I have, in fact, wanted to kill you after you stopped hedging long enough to use your words. So spit it out, Stefan."

Stefan sighs heavily on the other end of the phone, "Rebekah got up in the middle of the night and fell down the stairs."

Caroline feels her mouth drop open in shock, "Oh my god. Is she okay?!"

"She's fine, for the most part. Cranky, because she tripped over the accessory suitcase that I was supposed to bring downstairs before we went to bed last night."

"Uh oh. Doghouse."

"Yep. But she also has a concussion. And a broken leg."

Caroline's heart sinks as she grasps what he's trying to tell her, "So then you're not just running late."

"Nope. Sorry."

"Stefan…" Caroline whines. She's not proud of it, but the reality of the situation is sinking in. Because there was another party running late. One she needed a buffer to deal with comfortably.

"We got in touch with the cruise line already and they were pretty understanding. I sent them proof of Bekah's injury and they're going to refund most of our money. Our flights are cancelled too. And I called Klaus."

Caroline lets out a pained groan and slumps down in her seat. An elderly woman shoots her a dirty look and shuffles down a seat. Caroline can't really blame her.

Stefan wisely ignores her and continues speaking, "…he'll be there in a few minutes. He's bringing coffee."

"Bribery," Caroline notes dryly, "smart."

"I thought so, love."

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Caroline tilts her head up to glimpse the devil in question. His perma smirk (that really highlights the dimples, damn him) and stubble are in place. Jeans, Henley, necklaces? Check. His hair's a bit longer than it had been the last time she'd seen him. She really hates that he's so freaking attractive.

"Care?"

Caroline closes her eyes and count to ten. When she opens them, half hoping this is a weirdly vivid dream, Klaus is still standing in front of her, watching her with mild amusement painted across his features. So she's not dreaming. Because while Klaus occasionally appears in her dreams (shut up, he's hot, and she can't help it if her subconscious is less than discerning about personality, okay?) he's usually naked.

She shakes those thoughts away and forces herself to be gracious, "I'm here Stefan. Klaus just showed up. Take care of Rebekah, and I'll see you when I get home. Be prepared to sit through slideshows. Lots of slideshows."

Stefan chuckles, "I wouldn't expect anything less. I am sorry, Caroline."

"It's not your fault. Well, I guess it kind of is. But I imagine two weeks of Rebekah's wrath will be punishment enough."

Klaus lets out an amused chuckle, and sits down next to her.

Stefan lets her comment slide, so she assumes that Rebekah's within earshot, "Try to have fun. And be nice."

Caroline is offended, "I should be nice? I'm always nice."

The noise Klaus lets out is disbelieving and she barely restrains herself from jabbing an elbow into his ribs. Only because violence in one of the largest airports in the U.S. was probably not smart. A strip search would just be the icing on the cake that is the disastrous start of her first out of the country vacation.

"Bekah already gave Klaus a talking to. He's promised to be on his best behavior."

Caroline turns her head to eye him up and down. He raises a challenging brow when their eyes lock again, "I'll believe that when I see it," she tells Stefan before hanging up.

Klaus holds up one of the paper cups, silently offering it to her. She takes it and mutters a thanks before she sits back in her seat and shoves her earbuds in. She needed to process and it was way harder to be nice to Klaus if she had to listen to him talk.

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me!" Caroline's voice has been steadily rising in pitch over the last half hour since they had received swipe card to their suite. As she surveys the room and it's very large, very plush, very singular, king sized bed, it reaches a level of shrillness that makes Klaus wince.

Their seats on the plane had been several rows apart and he'd hoped that her temper would have mellowed during the flight. She had been fairly quiet in the car over to the ship, so he'd been cautiously optimistic, but things had gone terribly wrong once they'd checked in. It seems there had been a mix up in the cancellation and Klaus and Caroline's single rooms had been given away, leaving them with the suite Bekah and Stefan had booked for themselves. Caroline had protested vehemently, but the harried staff member running the check in process had been unable to help them. Not that Klaus minded overmuch. In fact he half suspected Rebekah had done this on purpose, as an odd sort of favor to him.

Caroline's stopped dead just inside the entryway and he nudges her forward a little so that he can enter too, "Not bad," he comments, looking around. It's an understatement of course, Rebekah's tastes were almost exclusively high end and the room reflected that. Klaus sets his bag down and sits down on the edge of the mattress.

"Not," Caroline grits out, "bad? Not bad? If you think I'm sharing a bed with you you've got another thing coming."

Klaus leans back on his elbows, refrains from commenting on the way her gaze lingers on his abdomen where his shirt has ridden up, though he notes it. It is nice to have confirmation that she's still attracted to him, after all. "First of all, sweetheart, it's a big bed. If you want, you can order all the extra pillows your little heart desires and form a barricade. We're both adults here, are we not?"

Caroline's lips thin as she continues to try to kill him with the power of her mind.

"And second of all, I seem to remember you singing a very different tune at Rebekah and Stefan's wedding."

A noise comes from her throat that is very nearly a growl. She whirls, her slightly deflated blonde curls flying, and stomps out of the room. Klaus is certain she'd have liked to have slammed the door, but it's weighted in such a way that makes it impossible.

Klaus flops back onto the bed. He'll be paying for that for a day or two, he's certain. Bringing up that particular event was something that just was not done, but he'd not been able to help himself. Caroline Forbes was a woman who felt things deeply, and wore every emotion on her lovely face. And he liked the look of just about all of them on her so very much.

* * *

She'd tried everything. Asking politely, reasoning. Threatening. Flirting. And still Caroline had been unsuccessful and was making her way back to her room. Except it wasn't  _her_  room. It was  _their_  room. And Klaus was probably still in it.

Caroline clutches her armful of pillows more tightly, because hey, it wasn't a half bad suggestion for all that he'd been mocking her. Turning into the corridor where the suite is located, she takes a deep breath as she nears it, before she throws her shoulders back and marches into the room, head held high.

Her show of bravado turns out to be completely unnecessary as Klaus is face down on the bed, sound asleep. He's shirtless, and she sees jeans and boots discarded haphazardly along the side of the bed. The blankets are bunched around his waist and she really, really hopes he's not naked.

They're going to have to iron a few things out if they're going to be cohabitating on this cruise and that was  _not_  going to be a clothing optional conversation. In fact, this was not going to be a clothing optional space, period. She was going to need to set some rules. First, proper night time attire was to be worn in bed at all times. Second, she knew very well that he had not been born in a barn. Would it kill him to pick up after himself? Third…

Klaus stirred, interrupting her mental list. He shifted and stretched and Caroline couldn't help but be appreciative of the smooth muscles around his shoulders. She hadn't known about the tattoo on his back.

He kicks the blankets off and sits up. He's not naked, thank god.

He notices her presence and blinks at her sleepily for a moment before standing up. Caroline whirls around, giving him her back, and he laughs behind her, low and husky with sleep.

"Relax. I'm decent enough. It's nothing you've not seen before, love."

She spins back to face him, dropping the pillows and stabbing an accusatory finger in his direction, "Stop bringing that up! We agreed…"

He cuts her off, "You demanded. I don't recall agreeing to much of anything."

"I think not talking about, not thinking about,  _the incident_ ," she says, stressing the words as she always does in her head, "has worked just fine for the past two years. And I think that we should continue to not talk about, and not think about,  _the incident_."

"Speak for yourself. I think about  _the incident_  all the time."

"Well I don't." Caroline retorts. Kind of a lie, but he would never, ever, know that.

Klaus stretches his arms to the sides, unashamed at his near nakedness, and Caroline fights to keep her eyes from drifting down to what's barely concealed by the black boxer briefs he's wearing. She can feel herself losing the battle so she busies herself with collecting the pillows from the floor and very thoroughly shaking them out.

"Oh? So you don't think about how you plied me with drinks, danced with me, flirted with me, even though you claimed not to like me?"

"Not a claim, Klaus. A fact."

"So you've said. Over and over again. Still, your protestations of dislike didn't stop you from blatantly propositioning me. Or mauling me in the elevator. Or shoving your hand down my trousers against the door of your hotel room."

"I don't remember you complaining!" Caroline can't help but cry out in protest, throwing her hands in the air.

He looks at her like he thinks she's insane, "Why ever would I protest? The fiery blonde I'd found fascinating since I walked in on her berating the string quartet at Rebekah's engagement party was finally giving me the time of day."

Caroline falters for a moment before turning away from him, "We're not talking about this," she repeats firmly.

He's behind her suddenly, hand on her elbow to turn her towards him, "But we are. Finally."

She fixes her gaze on the wall over his shoulder. All that skin he's displaying is distracting, to say the least.

"You wanted me that night. I was too drunk to question my good fortune. But then you passed out, after coming on my tongue."

Caroline lets out a strangled noise and slaps a hand over her face in mortification.

"Now, I wasn't entirely thrilled with the turn of events, if I'm being honest. I was very hard for you, love, and it wasn't exactly comfortable."

"Oh god," Caroline mutters. She can feel her face flaming.

"But," Klaus continues, ignoring her embarrassment, "I took off your shoes and tucked you in, left you a note, and went back to my room. I'll not tell you what I did next, as I'm rather alarmed by the color you've turned, and I'd hate to make it worse."

Caroline drops her hand so she can glare at him, only to find him smiling at her fondly. "Ah, there she is," he murmurs, touching a fingertip to her cheekbone gently. "I went to sleep that night looking forward to seeing you in the morning. I was going to ask you out on a proper date, you see."

Caroline's eyes widen in surprise. It was well known that Klaus wasn't exactly the dating kind.

"But I was met with the blackest of scowls, and the most coldly perfunctory replies that you could get away with, over breakfast. And ever since then you either flee at the sight of me, or I'm treated to your wit at its most cutting. Why is that, Caroline?"

He looks genuinely curious, blue eyes soft and boring into hers. Caroline wavers for a moment, helplessly drawn to him while he seems so beguiling.

But that's what Klaus does. He uses the genetic lottery he'd won to his advantage, entices with the accent and pretty words. But Caroline will not fall into that trap.

She pulls her arm out of his grasp, and he drops it without a protest, a resigned look creeping into his open expression, "I  _said_  I didn't want to talk about it, Klaus."

"Caroline…" he says, a touch pleadingly.

"No," she cuts him off, "I meant it. We're stuck together for the next twelve days. Let's just try not to kill each other, okay?"

"I know I can manage that. Can you?"

"Probably. But maybe I'll do some googling about international waters. Those are a thing, right? If I'm going to shove you overboard I want it to be in a place where it's not illegal."

He shoots her an unamused look, "You're very funny, Caroline."

"Oh, lighten up. Even if I wouldn't go to jail there's Rebekah to contend with. Pretty sure she's scarier than prison, actually."

He snorts, but doesn't disagree. "So…" Caroline says, drawing the word out. He motions for her to get on with it. She lets out a deep sigh, "Truce?" she asks, holding her hand out to shake.

He eyes her skeptically for a second before clasping her hand in his larger one, "Truce," he agrees.

"Excellent," Caroline says, clapping her hands together. "Because I think we need to lay some travel bud ground rules…"


	2. Day Two

**DAY TWO: AT SEA**

Caroline drifted towards consciousness, with a level of contentedness that she rarely reached at home. Not waking to a blaring alarm was really awesome. Not having to rush through a shower and hair and makeup and fight through traffic to get to work on time? Even better. She feels languid and well rested and relaxed.

Which makes her believe that, despite the less than stellar start, maybe this vacation wouldn't be so terrible. The truce she'd initiated last night had gone pretty well. She and Klaus had managed to politely converse over dinner. Caroline had been on guard, waiting for him to bring up  _the incident_  but he'd kept to neutral topics like music and their jobs and had even made her laugh a few times. They'd gone their separate ways to explore after eating. She'd met a couple of cool people (all couples, unfortunately) and even flirted with a cute staff member.

So yes, things were looking up. Caroline was excellent at making the best of things. She could totally do that in this situation. So a silly mistake was forcing her to room with Klaus. She could deal. Partly because this bed? Was magic. The perfect degree of softness. The sheets and duvet might have been lovingly spun by elves from freaking unicorn fur, so warm and cozy was she, protected from the air conditioned chill in the room. Plus, they smelled amazing.

It took a few seconds, a few more appreciative inhales, until something about that last thought gave Caroline pause. Because while her pillow did smell great, woodsy and clean, it wasn't your typical fresh laundry smell.

It was a smidge too masculine and definitely familiar.

It clicked and she was primed for annoyance. So help her, if Klaus had breached the pillow barrier…

When Caroline cracks her eyes open, she's greeted with the sight of Klaus' stubbled jaw and neck, inches from her. He's lying on his back, his far arm thrown over his head, the other crossed loosely over his chest.

She cringes internally because it's immediately plain that he hadn't been the one to encroach on her territory. Nope, that had been all her. He's lying pretty close to the edge of the mattress, and she's pressed against his side (on his pillow!) and she's even got one of her legs slung over his thighs. And one of her hands has snuck under his t-shirt. Her fingers flex as she becomes aware of their position, pressing into warm skin and tempting muscle. God, she hopes he's asleep. If he woke to her feeling up his abs she might just die of mortification on the spot.

Many a friend and boyfriend have accused Caroline of being a bed hog. But seriously. This is ridiculous. There's a solid three to four feet of perfectly good bed left unoccupied behind her. Looking down (and definitely NOT noting parts of Klaus' anatomy that were more, uh,  _alert_ , than he was) she can see the extra pillows bunched up along the footboard.

She closes her eyes, sends a quick wish to the cosmos that she'd snuggle attacked Klaus after he had fallen asleep. And another that he hadn't woken up at any point during the night to find her all over him. Because he would never let it go. With a slow, deep inhale Caroline cautiously begins to extricate herself from this predicament.

First, she gets an arm under herself, tugs her tank top back into place. Caroline was really going to have to look into buying some more modest sleepwear. And soon. Everything item she's packed for bed was on the skimpy side, for good reason. She'd booked a single room and she was headed to the Caribbean. It didn't exactly call for long sleeves and pants. The shorts and tank set she'd selected last night were the least provocative of the bunch and still managed to show a lot of leg and a good amount of cleavage. Most of the other things she'd brought revealed even more. Because hey, there was nothing wrong with wanting to feel attractive. And while she hadn't been planning on a vacation fling, having a few pieces designed to impress, just in case, wasn't a crime.

But no way in hell was she getting into bed with Klaus in one of those. That would be courting disaster. As it was she'd burrowed herself under the blankets while he'd been in the bathroom last night. Klaus had a way of looking at her that set her pulse to racing. Not something Caroline had wanted to deal with it last night. Especially after he'd tried to push her carefully repressed memories of Stefan and Rebekah's wedding to the surface. So she'd turned her back to him and feigned sleep when Klaus had emerged and gotten into bed.

She might have even ignored his polite, "Goodnight, Caroline," to maintain the ruse.

But now was not the time to feel guilty about bad manners. The clock was ticking and she wanted to be out of this bed before Klaus awoke. Caroline inches backwards, and just as she's lifting her leg off of him, the hand that had been on his chest shot down, and wrapped around her knee. She freezes and Klaus rolls his head to the side, his lips twisted into a faintly mocking smile and his blue eyes bright and alert.

Damn it.

"Morning, love," Klaus greets, voice low and warm and not affecting her at all, "Sleep well?"

The conversational way he asks contrasts with the slow stroke of his fingers along the sensitive skin at the back of her knee and she struggles to match it in her reply, "Fine. And you?"

"Excellent."

"Great," Caroline forces herself to smile, to act as if every brush of his calloused fingers doesn't make her wish he'd slide them higher, and pulls her leg out of his grasp. She rolls away from him. Caroline's digging through her things, doing her best to ignore him, and to find an outfit for the day when Klaus' amused chuckle makes her pause. Note to self: lay out clothes before going to bed for maximum efficiency and easy avoidance of awkward situations.

After his laugh dies down he speaks again, having made no move to follow her example and leave the bed, "That's it then? After you firmly demanded I stay on my side of the bed, and listed several gruesome punishments should I even think about taking up a single millimeter of your space, we're just going to ignore the fact that you draped yourself all over me? Not that I minded, but it's a bit of an unfair double standard, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry, okay?" Caroline confesses, "I was asleep and I didn't mean to."

Klaus surprises her, and easily accepts her apology, "Mmm, that's quite alright. It was a gradual process, anyway."

Caroline turns to look at him, which is kind of a mistake. She'd taken the blankets with her when she'd scrambled from the bed and Klaus hadn't bothered to pull them back, leaving him stretched out and watching her, his tousled hair only adding to the generally delicious picture he makes, "What?" is the eloquent reply she manages.

He grins, "It started with your feet."

"My feet?" Caroline parrots in disbelief.

"They broke through your pillow wall first. They were freezing and quite a shock when they came into contact with my legs. Have you thought of investing in some socks, perhaps?"

"I can't sleep in socks."

"Perhaps you should get your circulatory system checked out, sweetheart. That can't be normal."

Caroline rolls her eyes, "They're not that bad."

"Like blocks of ice," Klaus says seriously. "I tried to get away but they just kept coming for me, stealing my body heat."

Caroline presses her lips together, and tries not to smile, "Shut up."

"Of course I minded less when the rest of you followed. I'm not one to complain about being underneath a beautiful woman. I heartily approve of your choice in sleepwear, love."

And he had to ruin it. Just when she was finding him charming. Caroline shoots him a glare before gathering her things and disappearing into the bathroom, another of his soft chuckles following in her wake.

* * *

Klaus had retreated from the room while Caroline was showering, having decided a tactical retreat was the best course of action. He's not sure if the room mix up was, in fact, Rebekah's ham fisted attempt at matchmaking, or a happy accident, and he's content to live in ignorance about it. But he's not willing to live in ignorance about what exactly had gone wrong two years ago.

Oh, he knows what went wrong initially. Klaus had walked into Rebekah's kitchen, fresh off his flight from London, in search of a drink, only to find Caroline in it, on the phone. They hadn't met before and finding an attractive, leggy blonde upon his arrival in the U.S. had seemed the height of good luck.

She'd not given him one whit of attention, which had bruised his ego a bit. She'd been speaking in clipped tones to the florist, something about how the substitutions they wanted to make were not at all acceptable, given how far in advance the order had been made and the money that had already been paid.

The phone conversation had gone on and on as Klaus had helped himself to a bottle of water, and continued to observe her. She'd eventually prevailed, something he'd come to expect from Caroline, and had been smiling when she'd hung up the phone.

She'd offered him a small wave, apologizing and introducing herself. Klaus had known of her, of course. Caroline Forbes, Stefan Salvatore's best friend, and Rebekah had not gotten along at the beginning of Bekah and Stefan's romance.

Klaus, with his position of Rebekah's favorite brother, endured many an earful about how awful Caroline was, how bossy and controlling, how insufferable. He'd only barely managed to skirt Rebekah's wrath, and not make any statements about pots and kettles. Luckily, those rants had died down after a few months, before his self-control ran out.

The two women, encouraged by Stefan's unwillingness to take sides, managed to come to an acceptance of the other's permanent position in Stefan's life. Cautious acceptance had made way for tentative friendship as they discovered they had a few more things in common. Before too long they were occasionally having lunch together unsupervised and Caroline's name, when it popped up in Rebekah's stories, was pronounced with fondness rather than resentment.

Then, three and a half years after Rebekah and Stefan had met, Caroline had helped Stefan pick out a ring, and had been the first person the couple called once Rebekah said yes. Caroline had agreed to act both as bridesmaid and wedding planner.

Shaking her hand that day, Klaus had been happy to finally put a face to the name. He'd introduced himself, and then made a joke about the flowers, and how the florist was probably crafting a voodoo doll in her image and come on, and were floral arrangements really all that crucial?

That had been mistake number one, but then he'd made a whole host of them during that first, short conversation. He'd not know it at the time but Caroline was a perfectionist, who took great pride in her work, and her face had fallen slightly at his offhand remark. Not that he'd noted it at the time. But she'd still held on to her polite smile, and inquired about his flight.

Klaus had proceeded to tell her it was awful, and to ask her out for a drink. He's quite sure he'd tacked on something dreadfully blatant about ending the day on a high note. Not his finest moment. But at that point he'd viewed Caroline as just a pretty distraction, in the right place at the right time.

Her demeanor had cooled and she'd rebuffed him, reminding him that the engagement party was set to start in three hours. He'd brushed off her concerns, stating that no one would miss them if they were a little late to a silly party. The wedding was the important thing, wasn't it? And that was ages away.

Honestly, Klaus shuddered remembering it. He'd been a first class arsehole and in retrospect he's quite surprised Caroline had held on to her temper as well as she had. Between his unsubtle propositions and how he'd flippantly dismissed her hard work, it's something of a miracle she'd not strangled him.

He'd dug a deep hole in mere minutes and she'd made her distaste for him known in the days that followed, though he had only become more interested as that weekend had dragged on. He'd flown home at the end of it with Caroline on his mind, determined to make a better impression the next time he saw her. In the weeks that led up to the actual wedding events he'd worked her into conversations with Bekah, Stefan, even with his mother, trying to glean more information.

When the week of the wedding dawned Klaus had a plan of attack. He was helpful and solicitous, volunteering to run wedding errands that no one else wanted to tackle. Caroline had been appreciative and they'd had a few good, borderline flirty, conversations.

And so, in fits and starts, Klaus managed to sway Caroline's opinion of him. He had been thrilled when she'd finally seemed open to his genuine advances at the reception. Elated that she'd wanted to touch him. Thought he'd been dreaming when she'd clutched his hair and welcomed his mouth between her thighs.

And then she'd gone icy and intractable mere hours later, in the light of day.

Klaus was determined to find out why.

Which is why he's now wandering the decks, eyes peeled for her blonde curls. He'd been CC'ed on all the trip planning emails, though he'd rarely contributed all that much. Klaus isn't much of a beach person. But he had accepted Rebekah's invite because while he was due for a vacation, he hated dealing with travel agents and airlines and all the tedious details that went into planning one. There were few things Klaus hated more than being forced to listen to bland pop music while being put on hold. Tagging along on this cruise had meant he'd only needed to hand over his credit card when it was time to make the bookings. Plus, he found his sister and Stefan's company far more tolerable than he did most other people's. Caroline's presence had sweetened the deal.

Klaus isn't entirely sure how Bekah had convinced Caroline to accept his company. When he'd asked, Rebekah had been vague, saying only that she'd made Caroline an offer she couldn't refuse. Stefan had shot his wife a disbelieving look and received a kick under the table for his troubles.

But, however it had come didn't really matter now. They were sharing this boat, and a room, and Klaus would make the most of it.

Caroline and Rebekah had done the bulk of the planning, arguing over excursions and activities. The initial itinerary had been jam packed until Stefan had put his foot down and reminded them that this was supposed to be a vacation, and that he'd like to relax a little. And so two or three 'designated veg days' had been penciled in. Today was supposed to be one of them.

Klaus has got his sketchbook with him and he's just looking for a convenient deck chair, in a certain blonde's vicinity, before he settles down for an afternoon of enjoying the ocean air in the sun, and gradually teasing his way back into Caroline's good books.

Klaus spies Caroline, finally, laid out by one of the pools. She's on her stomach, engrossed in a book, and Klaus can't help but take a second to enjoy the little blue strapless bikini she has on, before he approaches.

Caroline shades her eyes from the sun and glances his way as he settles into the chair next to her, "Oh," she remarks flatly, "it's you."

Klaus shoots her a smile, unperturbed by her lack of enthusiasm. He knows she'd be rather more friendly if he'd stop alluding to  _the incident_ , as she likes to call it, or if he were to quit attempting to flirt with her but, unfortunately for her, neither of those things is in Klaus' plans. He's determined that, over the course of these twelve days, they will finally hash out what actually happened between them, and why. And he likes flirting with her. Likes her wit and her inflections, her flashing blue eyes and how she reacts to him.

"Do you have to sit there?" Caroline asks him.

Klaus arches a brow, "Do I have to? No. Am I going to? Yes."

She makes an aggravated noise, "I've been making very promising eyes at that bartender over there and you're going to ruin it. Go find a single woman. Woo her with the accent and the dimples. Just go away."

Klaus surveys the man she'd indicated, who's watching them from the corner of his eye, trying not to appear interested. He checks to make sure Caroline's not looking at him before he arranges his face into his best menacing glare. The bartender turns slightly away in response and Klaus fights a satisfied smirk. "Sorry, love," he apologizes insincerely, "there's a dearth of single women on this cruise, and not a one of them as engaging as you. I do believe I'll stay here, thanks."

Caroline shoots him a suspicious glance, no doubt aware of how pointedly the bartender is avoiding her gaze. But she has no proof Klaus has done anything, so she does not comment. He takes advantage of her attention being trained on him to slip off his shirt. Caroline's hand had wandered over his chest and stomach quite liberally in her sleep, and Klaus is not above taking advantage of what her subconscious had revealed about her interests. She averts her gaze quickly and focuses on her novel. "Do you have any sunblock?" Klaus asks, "I forgot to bring mine."

Without looking at him she points to a straw bag lying between their chairs, "Help yourself."

Klaus eyes the bag for a moment, "Are you sure? I've been lectured about the sanctity of women's handbags once or twice."

Caroline lets out a laugh, "Usually that's true. However I just shoved the essentials in there this morning so you're probably safe."

Klaus shrugs. If she insists. He shifts the few items it contains around until he finds what he's looking for. It's the spray kind, so he doesn't have to decide if he's shameless enough to ask for her help with spreading it over his back.

He stands, gives himself a thorough spray, before settling back into the chair, "Thank you," he says, returning the can back to her bag.

"You're welcome," she replies absently. Klaus watches her flip pages for a few moments before opening his sketchbook, intent on making a study of the lines of her back. And they while the afternoon away in companionable silence. Reasonable progress, Klaus notes with pleasure, for just over twenty-four hours in each other's company.


	3. Day Three

**DAY THREE: AT SEA**

Caroline wakes much as she had the day before. Blissfully warm and relaxed. Slightly less comfy, she'd worn a bra to bed, but the scent she's surrounded in is as tantalizing as ever.

She knows, even before she opens her eyes, that she's on Klaus' side of the bed.

She grits her teeth and does her best to remain calm, even if she wants to kick and scream out her frustration. Caroline's fairly certain that Klaus is actually asleep this time, his breathing even and slow against the back of her neck. She  _really_  wants him to stay that way. Taking stock of her body she can't decide if this morning's positon is better or worse than yesterday's.

In the better column: Klaus is the one doing the active snuggling, pressed against her back as he is, with one arm thrown over her. Way less mortifying than how she'd woken up previously. Although he, unlike her, hasn't let his hands creep under clothes. Not that it would have been easy thing to do. Caroline had made a trip to the onboard boutique yesterday and bought a new (incredibly overpriced!) set of not so attractive pajamas. The top was pink, modest necked and voluminous. The bottoms: capri length and in a floral print that would have been very at home on tacky upholstery. Klaus had eyed her up and down when she'd emerged from the bathroom last night from his position on the bed, already under the covers. He'd miraculously managed to refrain from making a snarky comment and had merely pressed his lips together and focused back on his book.

In the worse column: she's pretty sure she's drooled on his bicep, where her head is resting. Super embarrassing. And the sizeable erection that's pressing into her is so not something she wants him to know that she knows about. It's not that he's hard for her, she tells herself. It's involuntary. Just nature and biology and totally not something she should be thinking about. Right now. Or ever.

Which is easier said than done when it's resting against her ass. And when she can still very vividly recall how good it had felt, grinding against her, even though he'd still worn his pants and she her underwear. If only she'd been drunk enough for her memories of  _the incident_ to be fuzzier. God, what she wouldn't give for the details to be less sharp and easy to recall. It would certainly make the forced cohabitation element of this trip easier to handle.

Caroline needs to get out of this bed, preferably out of this room. Without waking him up.

Maybe if she can just get him to roll over onto his back…

Caroline uses her shoulders and leans back into him. Klaus mumbles something unintelligible, lips brushing lightly against her skin. She snakes her arm under his to ease it off of her. He begins to roll back and Caroline is just breathing a sigh of relief when she feels his body jolt, feels his hands grasping at the air. Suddenly, the warmth of him is gone completely. There's a loud thump followed by several smaller ones.

Shit.

Had she just pushed him off the bed? She'd totally just pushed him off the bed.

Her instinct is to pretend to be asleep but Caroline finds she can't manage it. Klaus says, "What the fuck?" voice hoarse and sleepy and so put out and she can't help but find the situation hilarious. She buries her face in the pillows and tries to control her laughter.

"Caroline," he grumbles.

Caroline bites the inside of her lip and rolls over to face him, "Good morning?" she offers hesitantly before she has to clap a hand over her mouth to attempt to hide her giggles.

Klaus' expression clearly conveys that he is significantly less than amused.

"Sorry?" she tries, once she gets control of herself, though she's still fighting a smile. He looks bleary and confused, his hair sticking up in a mess of curls, as he sits on the floor next to the bed.

Klaus groans and heaves himself up, Caroline shifts over hastily and he flops back onto the bed. He clears his throat and pins her with a measuring look, "Are you sorry for tossing me out of bed? Or for laughing about it?"

Caroline can't help but giggle once more and he looks a little exasperated but she detects the faint beginnings of a smile, "Both. But mostly the first one."

"Of course. You do enjoy mocking me, don't you, sweetheart?"

"Little bit," Caroline confirms, "don't pretend like you don't enjoy teasing me."

"One of my favorite pastimes. One I'd quite like to practice more often," the words are said casually but the way his gaze heats and lingers on her mouth is anything but. He continues before she can decide how to reply, how to brush away the sexual undertones, "And may I ask the reason for my rude awakening? I was having a  _very_  pleasant dream."

She resolutely keeps her eyes on his face even as she feels her cheeks heat, "I… your side… arm…" Caroline can't help but stutter a bit. The whole reason he'd ended up on the floor was just so she could avoid this conversation.

Klaus smirks knowingly, "Ah. So in your sleep, your body sought mine, and we ended up entangled? Perhaps your subconscious is trying to send you a message, love."

"I'll have you know," Caroline retorts with a hard glare, "that you were the one doing the tangling this time, buddy. I was just the poor, squished, little spoon. You can't blame me for trying to get away."

Klaus has the nerve to grin at her, "But, had you not, once again, made your way onto my side of this very large bed, no spooning would have occurred now would it?"

"Ugh. I can't control what I do in my sleep!"

"No," Klaus muses, "I don't suppose you can. Hence my comments about your subconscious."

Caroline makes a derisive noise, "Oh, please. Could you be any more full of yourself? It's probably just the bed."

"The bed?" Klaus questions, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yeah, the bed. Maybe your side's just better. Less wear and tear. Or something." Caroline can't help but berate herself internally for just how stupid that sounds out loud. Wear and tear, really?

Klaus lets out a snicker, "Care to test that theory?" he challenges.

"How?" Caroline asks suspiciously.

"Simple, really. We switch sides tonight. If your theory is correct, you'll not accost me in the night, because you'll be on the superior side of the mattress. If your theory is incorrect you'll end up pressed against me because of the desires you won't admit to."

"I don't desire you, Klaus."

"I think you're a liar, Caroline Forbes."

"You wish."

He moves quickly, rolling her under him. He rests on his knees, outside her thighs, and his hands, planted on the bed next to her head, keeping his weight off of her. The press of his body against hers is suggestive, but not constraining, and Caroline freezes not in fear but because she doesn't quite trust herself not to rub against him. "Don't you?" he asks, voice soft and seductive in her ear. She feels his nose graze the skin behind the lobe, then the skim of it down the length of her throat. He pauses at her collarbone, hums appreciatively as he seems to breathe her in, "You did once, for all that you hate when I mention it."

Caroline can't hide the slightly shaky way she inhales, or how weak her denial is, "I was drunk."

"Not in the beginning," Klaus pulls back so they're nearly nose to nose, his darkened blue eyes boring into hers, "You'd had not consumed a single drop of liquor when you asked me to dance with you. I remember coaxing you into that first glass of champagne, promising that no disasters would befall the reception if you celebrated your hard work."

"I…" Caroline turns her head but he nudges her chin back with gentle fingertips.

"I can never decide if I regret that or not, when I think back. Had you not decided that liquid courage was the way to go, would things have ended differently? If I hadn't followed your example, would I have left you at the door to your hotel, with a dinner date secured? Would that date had gone well enough to end with a kiss? I confess that the what if's drive me mad sometimes."

Caroline's mouth feels dry and she swallows nervously, unsure. She didn't think Klaus actually felt much of anything for her, beyond physical attraction, but his wistful words paint a different picture. "Klaus…" she only manages his name before she trails off helplessly.

He presses a single kiss to the skin above her neckline before pushing off of her and sitting up, "Do you accept my challenge, Caroline?"

It takes her a minute to remember what he means, as all she really wants to do is pull him back on top of her. But she can't, she won't. Her brain tries to formulate an answer to the question he'd asked. Oh, right. The bed. She forces herself not to fidget under his steady gaze, curses herself because there's no way she can't accept, given she's the one who brought up the ludicrous idea about the bed in the first place. She nods once.

"Perfect. What would you like for your winnings?" Klaus asks.

Caroline considers demanding that he leave her alone for the duration of the trip but discards that idea quickly. She knows he'll just consider it more proof that she's desperately fighting the raging lady boner he seems to think she has for him. Which she definitely is not.

"For you to sleep on the floor."

She expects him to argue, attempt to barter (she absolutely would), but he surprises her, "Fine. And when I win you'll loosen the reins on your itinerary a bit. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Caroline replies grudgingly, not at all pleased with his use of 'when.' His quick agreement to her terms also tells her that he's very much just humoring her.

"Lovely," Klaus beams, dimples fully employed. He slides off of the bed, and heads to the bathroom, pulling his shirt off as he goes. He turns at the door, catching her ogling the lean muscles of his shoulders. She narrows her eyes, daring him to comment, but he merely smirks, "I'll just grab the first shower, shall I? I'll try to leave you some hot water, though I suspect you won't be using it."

The door closes just before the pillow she hurls at him reaches it.

* * *

Caroline had hustled through a shower and getting ready. She'd emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed, wet hair braided and off of her face, telling him that she was going to check out the spa. He'd been seated on the bed, checking his email, and she'd been out of the suite before he'd had time to reply.

It was clever of her, he thought, since the spa was one place he definitely couldn't follow her without it being entirely too obvious. He wasn't really a pedicure sort of man and she'd have taken his head off were he to suggest some sort of couples massage. Might've been worth it, just to see her expression.

It's probably a good idea to give her time to process and it's not like she actually has a hope of winning, and he's quite sure that she knows that too. He's still got days with her to untangle the mess between them. He's determined that they'll step off this boat for the final time as friends, at the very least.

Though he has to admit he hopes for a bit more than that.

Klaus is just about to shut his laptop down, and go amuse himself at the casino for an hour or two, when a Skype notification pops up. It's Rebekah, so he answers it. She's propped up on a pile of fluffy white pillows when she comes onscreen, though Klaus notes she looks kind of tired. She's wearing a t-shirt, and not a speck of makeup, and looks much younger than she usually does.

"Nik!" she greets with a smile, "How are you enjoying the sun and sand?"

"The sun's quite nice. Haven't gotten to the sand. Tomorrow is our first stop."

"San Juan," Rebekah says, a little mournfully. "My days are a bit mixed up, you see. The painkillers the doctor prescribed are very good."

"How are you feeling, Bekah?"

She heaves a sigh, "Tired. Sleeping on my back is uncomfortable. And I'm so bored. Stefan's been hovering. I sent him out for pie and ice cream to get him out of my hair for a bit."

Klaus can't help but smile at that. Rebekah was, and always had been, a truly horrendous patient. She required her caretaker's full attention, but her demands were always exacting and specific and difficult to fulfill to the letter. Which generally led to intense amounts of frustration for both her and the unlucky soul doing her bidding. If Stefan were smart he'd stock up on every kind of pie and ice cream he could get his hands on because Bekah was liable to change her mind.

"I'm sure he feels terribly guilty."

"He does. And he's promised to take me anywhere I want as a makeup vacation. I'm thinking Paris. With most of our time spent shopping. And not a single word of complaint out of him permitted."

Klaus pities Stefan.

"But enough about me. Tell me about you! How's the room? Caroline?" she says it with a smug smirk and all of Klaus' guesses about the origin of the problem with the rooms are confirmed.

"Bekah…" he scolds.

She merely laughs at him, "That scowl won't work on me, Nik. Now, be a good boy and thank your sister for her help."

He scoffs. As if he needed her help! "I am curious about one thing. However did you convince Caroline to let me tag along on this trip in the first place? And don't dodge, Rebekah. Or I'll tell Caroline what you did. It's a miracle she doesn't suspect and you and I both know she won't be pleased."

"I merely set her up on some blind dates that didn't go particularly well. She agreed to let you come if I ceased my attempts at matchmaking. That was all," it's said with an innocent shrug and a calculating glimmer of Rebekah's blue eyes.

Klaus shakes his head, "Little did she know that your most blatant attempt was coming, hmm?"

"And she won't, Nik. Play your cards correctly and I doubt she'll care."

"Why are you pushing this, sister?"

If you didn't know Rebekah you'd miss the softening of her expression. But Klaus catches it easily, "I saw you two together at the reception, before Stefan and I left. I don't know what went wrong. You've never told me and Caroline changes the subject whenever your name comes up. But you were happy, Nik. You and Caroline both. I like it when you're happy." Rebekah pauses, and sits up straighter, "Goodness, that was sappy. Chalk it up to the pain pills."

"Of course," Klaus agrees.

"Now, I'll let you go. But do remember the trouble I've gone to. Don't let my efforts go to waste. Alright?"

"I'll do my best."

"Good. Tell Caroline to Skype us soon."

"Will do. Good bye, Rebekah."

She echoes his send off and with one last wave she's off his screen.

Klaus wonders if he can coax the stories of those blind dates out of Caroline. They'd have to have been disastrous, for her to be willing to spend time with him, something she'd strenuously avoided before. Klaus thinks he'd enjoy the animated retelling of them. Maybe in a few days when, if things go according to plan, she's a bit more charmed by him and willing to open up. To that end, perhaps it would be a good idea to spend some time researching? He'd need a few tricks up his sleeve, places Caroline would like, things she'd enjoy, once he wins their bet.

* * *

Caroline settles into the same deck chair she'd occupied yesterday, having stowed her dress and flats in her bag. She's fairly sure Klaus will find her eventually and she'd given serious consideration to making it more difficult for him. Ultimately, she'd decided against it. She was a grown up, damn it, and far too mature for hide and seek.

Then there was the conversation she'd had with Ingrid, the masseuse who'd been appalled at the knots of tension she'd found along Caroline's back. A woman on vacation should not be so stressed, Ingrid had insisted. And then the whole story had come spilling out of Caroline's mouth.

Massage therapists must get that a lot, Caroline thought. Kind of like bartenders.

Stefan and Rebekah's last minute drop out. Having to travel with Klaus. Which had led to questions about exactly who Klaus was to her. And then the floodgates were open and she'd told Ingrid all about Klaus. What a dick he'd been when they first met. How he'd managed to change her mind by being so helpful, not to mention sweet and funny, when she'd been running herself ragged trying to deliver Rebekah's perfect day. She'd mentioned the explosive chemistry that zinged between them once she'd finally let her guard down. Blushingly gave a few details of their intimate encounter.

Then, Caroline had gone quiet. Ingrid had prodded her, refusing to let the story end there. So, haltingly, Caroline recounted the next part, the one that she did her best not to think about. She'd overheard a conversation not meant for her ears between Klaus, a certain ex-boyfriend who shall not be named (whose brother was unfortunately her best friend), and a few of said ex's friends. She'd walked away from her eavesdropping feeling stupid and ashamed and really, really pissed off.

Ingrid had fumed right along with her, thankfully. Bonnie had done the same but it was nice to have Klaus' douchebaggery vindicated by a stranger.

Reliving that moment, though.

It brought those feelings rushing back. But something about it had bothered her, and that's why she'd decided to let Klaus find her, if he was so inclined. Because yes, the awful ex had said some shitty things about her. He'd obviously been imbibing in the mimosas being passed around. The words 'great in the sac' had been in said in that stupid, leering, way he had. Several comments even more repulsive had been sprinkled in. 'Clingy', 'neurotic,' 'be careful, man' all of those words had been used. God, she really should have punched Damon that day, Stefan (and Rebekah's snooty relatives) be damned.

She'd walked away hurt, and raging, not waiting to hear Klaus' reply. She'd always assumed that he'd answer locker room talk with more of the same, that he would have bragged about how desperate she'd been for him, followed it up with high fives for everyone.

But what if he hadn't?

He'd seemed blindsided, by her giving him the cold shoulder, when he'd come up to speak with her shortly after. He had tried several times to talk to her throughout the morning. She'd told herself he'd just been looking for an easy distraction for the few days he had in town before he flew back to London. Klaus had basically used a classy, English, version of Joey Tribbiani's 'How you doin?'' on her the first time they'd met, after all. And she'd been listening to Rebekah complain about her brother Nik's inability to commit for years. Rebekah admitted that she didn't even bother to learn the girlfriend's names anymore. It was a different one every time she went to London to visit, she'd said, so what was the point? It had been easy enough for Caroline to convince herself that Klaus had just been after a one night hook up.

Two years later, with his recent words and actions tumbling through her mind, and Caroline was getting the uncomfortable feeling that she'd maybe jumped to all sorts of the wrong conclusions. That it was possible she had, in an effort to protect herself, lumped him in with her terrible ex. And that maybe hadn't been fair to him.

Caroline cringed just thinking about it, dreaded the apology she might have to make. She was an adult, successful, and most days she loved every bit of her life. It galled her that she could still be brought low, made to feel inferior, by nasty comments made by people that she knew (intellectually at least), weren't even worth a second of her consideration. It reminded her of the many crushing insecurities that had riddled Caroline's teenage years.

A shadow falls over her and she glances up to see that Klaus has arrived, "Why the serious face, love?" he looks genuinely interested, and maybe a little concerned.

Caroline makes an effort to shake off her dark thoughts, manages a small smile, "Just thinking. How was your morning?"

Klaus looks surprised at the question as he settles his sunglasses onto his nose and sits down next to her, "Fine. I won $300 at poker by defeating a group of tourists from Santa Fe."

Caroline snorts, "Klaus Mikaelson, making friends and influencing people."

"I've all the friends I need on this trip, love." He shoots her a look, letting her know that yes, he does mean her.

She rolls her eyes, but there's more humor in it than there would have been mere hours ago, "Yeah, yeah. Sunblock's in the bag if you forgot again. I won't have you getting crispy and then whining about how sore you are once we can finally get off this boat."

Klaus produces a bottle from his pocket, "As a matter of fact I did remember. Care to help me out? I don't like how the spray smells."

He's got a look on his face that dares her, even while it's doubtful. His mouth falls open when she swings her legs over the side of her chair and reaches for the bottle. He starts when she touches his shoulder and sits down behind him. His head falls forward as she spreads the cream on his back, "Perhaps there's something to your bed theory, Caroline," he murmurs, "It certainly seems as though you woke on the right side of it."

Caroline hums noncommittally, allows herself to enjoy touching him, "I guess we'll see, won't we?"


	4. Chapter 4

**DAY FOUR: SAN JUAN**

Caroline knows that she's lost before she's even fully conscious. God, she hates losing.

She bites back a groan, because Klaus is asleep, his chest moving gently underneath the arm she has resting on it. She's pressed up against him, once again on his side of the bed. At least she'd managed to keep her legs to herself this time.

Caroline decides she'll just take a few moments to savor what's left of her dignity. Falling asleep last night, she'd chanted, 'Don't roll, don't roll, do not roll!' inside of her head. Hadn't really expected it to work, but a little optimism never hurt anyone, right? Caroline's a little ashamed, but she briefly contemplated cheating last night, maybe stuffing a couple pairs of heels in the pillow barrier. Getting jabbed with a stiletto would wake just about anyone up, right? In the end she'd refrained. Mostly because she'd been pretty sure Klaus would have noticed.

And okay, she'd whipped out a skimpier pair of pajamas. Just, you know, on the off chance that Klaus' subconscious could be tempted to do the moving. But that's not cheating, that was just good strategy.

Plus, if she was going to lose, she might as well look good doing it.

It's bizarre to Caroline, that she can feel so comfortable, resting like this, with Klaus. 'Comfortable' is far from the first adjective she'd pick to describe how he makes her feel when she's awake. He aggravates her and he can make her laugh. She's might be kind of ridiculously attracted to him, but that doesn't mean she's not aware that he's a conceited douche sometimes. There's nothing remotely easy or relaxing about their waking interactions. But somehow they fit together, at least while they're asleep.

Klaus mumbles something into her hair and Caroline takes a second to mourn her beautiful, beautiful itinerary.

He's shifting, waking up, so Caroline pulls away, and scoots to her side of the bed, settling onto her back and pulling the duvet up to her chin. Klaus lets out a groan as he stretches (Caroline stares resolutely at the ceiling) before he rolls onto his side. Caroline can feel his eyes burning a hole in her temple, so she turns her head to meet his gaze.

"Morning, Caroline," he greets, voice rough and low.

"Good morning," she answers.

"Aren't you going to congratulate me?" he asks, a smirk crawling across his lips and carving those stupid dimples into his stupid cheeks. "It's the sportsmanlike thing to do."

Caroline glares, attempts at pleasantness vanishing in the wake of his smugness, "How do you even know you won, huh? Maybe I woke up, just like this, all cozy on my side of the bed."

Without taking his eyes off of her Klaus reaches back and gropes for the nightstand behind him, retrieving his cellphone. He breaks they're staring contest to unlock it, and a few taps later hands it to Caroline.

"You took a selfie?" Caroline exclaims incredulously. A sleeping selfie no less, of her draped across him, her hair spilling across his chest.

"Evidence, love. In case you decided to do something underhanded."

"What, you don't trust me?"

Klaus' brow furrowed as he gave the question serious consideration, "In this instance? Not especially. You like to win, and you don't particularly like me."

The way he says it is matter of fact and Caroline can't help but feel slightly terrible. She'd had a quick Skype convo with Rebekah last night, while Klaus had been showering. Caroline had asked all the right questions about Rebekah's injury, than brushed aside all Rebekah's about the cruise, just so she could get the dirt on Klaus. And Klaus and Damon.

As it turned out, Klaus and Damon did not get along. At all.

According to Rebekah, neither man would go into specifics. But after the wedding, Klaus had informed Rebekah that he had no desire to ever again breathe the same air as Damon Salvatore. Not exactly an uncommon occurrence, The Mikaelson's seemed to feud often and easily, from what Caroline had learned while planning Rebekah and Stefan's wedding. It had made seating charts a bitch.

Rebekah hadn't seemed too concerned with Klaus' apparent hatred of Damon, but then Rebekah wasn't particularly fond of Damon either. Hell, sometimes Stefan wasn't particularly fond of Damon. Damon was kind of the worst.

And she probably should have thought of that before she spent two years treating Klaus like he had the plague.

The guilt hits her again and Caroline squeezes her eyes shut, prepares to come clean, "Yeah. About that… I think it's possible that I was laboring under some misconceptions. That I might have assumed things. That I might be kind of an ass." She cracks one eye open to check his reaction, but he just looks confused.

"I don't quite follow," Klaus responds slowly.

Caroline sighs heavily and sits up, "Do you remember talking to Damon? The morning after the wedding?"

"Unfortunately," Klaus spits, his expression hardening. "Damon Salvatore is a loathsome…" he trails off, understanding dawning, "But you know all that about him, don't you?"

"Oh boy, do I know all that," she likes to chalk her relationship with Damon up to youth and stupidity, and hates having to think about it.

"You heard him," Klaus states.

Caroline picked at the sheets, avoiding his sympathetic eyes, "Yep. It wasn't exactly the first time, you know? But hearing it again always sucks."

"None of it was true, Caroline. I barely knew you and I knew you were better than anything Damon Salvatore could ever hope to have."

Caroline winced, "God, don't be nice to me right now. We haven't gotten to the part where I'm an ass yet."

Klaus sits up too, leans against the headboard and gestures for her to go on, "Well, let's hear it then. Rip off the Band-Aid, sweetheart."

Caroline takes a deep breath, "I didn't stick around to hear what you said. I assumed you'd be a dick, and brag about how desperate I was to jump your bones, and it be all 'Oh, that Caroline's so easy, I'm sure I can seal the deal after brunch!' but I'm thinking that I was maybe wrong about that."

"I told Damon to fuck off, Caroline. And that if I ever heard him speak of you like that again he'd be forced to pay for a new set of teeth."

"Slightly overbearing and caveman-y, I'm perfectly capable of punching Damon myself, you know. But, under the circumstances, I think it's only fair that I let it slide. And also, I'm sorry," Caroline blurts the last part out in a rush, finally looking up at him.

Klaus doesn't look mad, not really. Just sort of blank. Maybe a little disappointed. He runs a hand through his hair and doesn't speak for several minutes. Eventually, he flings the covers off and gets out of bed, "I accept your apology. And I suppose I sort of see where you were coming from."

"What do you mean?"

"I recognize the impression I must have made initially, Caroline. I like to think I'm fairly self-aware. I expressed an immediate sexual interest in you."

Caroline blinks a few times before answering, "Um, yes. I remember."

"And though my interest quickly grew beyond merely having you naked, and underneath me, at the earliest opportunity…"

"It did?" Caroline can't help but interject.

The look Klaus shoots her is slightly exasperated, "Yes, it did. I find your surprise quite baffling, truthfully. You're beautiful. Smart, loyal, quick witted. You're an excellent dancer, and I've every confidence that you could plan, and execute, a large-scale land invasion without even breaking a sweat. Really, what's not to like?"

Caroline feels the tips of her ears heat, prays the blush doesn't make its way to her face. People didn't usually just say things like that to her and for Klaus to do so, and to say them like they were indisputable facts, was kind of blowing her mind. And also ratcheting up the guilt she felt about how she'd treated him.

She's about to apologize again, but he speaks before she can, "Now, I think the only thing we can do is put it behind us. Fresh start, clean slate. Whatever you wish to call it."

"Really? Just like that?"

"Just like that," Klaus confirms, "I don't quite see the point in dragging this out. We're still stuck with each other regardless. I'm going to guess your uncharacteristic pensiveness was you mulling this over?"

Caroline nods, not surprised he's noticed. He'd been sending her worried looks, and opening his mouth as if to speak, all afternoon and evening yesterday.

"I didn't like it. I'll take glares and insults over averted eyes and that odd, forlorn, sighing you kept doing. At least the former's entertaining."

"I didn't sigh!" Caroline protests. She's pretty sure, at least.

"I'm quite sure you did, love. It was all very gothic novel heroines."

Caroline rolls her eyes, but she's fighting a smile, "Alright, fine. Clean slate. Do you wanna do that thing they do in movies where they re-introduce themselves and shake hands?"

"Do you?"

"You know what? Kind of," she did, after all, love a good chick flick moment. Caroline hops off the bed and stands in front of Klaus, "I'm Caroline Forbes, Stefan's best friend You must be one of Rebekah's brothers? It's nice to finally meet you," she raises a challenging eyebrow, wondering if Klaus will play along.

He surprises her, and shakes her hand, "It's Klaus, and I've heard so much about you, Caroline."

"Oh god," Caroline groans, breaking character, "I don't even want to know the things you probably heard about me from Rebekah.

"They were not flattering," Klaus admits, "in the beginning."

"I'll bet," Caroline replies wryly. But then she hadn't exactly been on Team Rebekah either, once upon a time. Pushing the thought away, it hardly mattered anymore, she smiles brightly at Klaus, "So, friends?"

Klaus returns her smile, but his is different. Calculating, maybe even seductive. Caroline realizes that he hadn't dropped her hand when he turns it hand over. She sucks in a breath when brings her wrist to his mouth and Caroline bites her lip as his brush against the delicate skin on the inside, "At the very least," Klaus says, low and intent, his eyes never leaving hers, before finally dropping his hold.

"I'll shower quickly," he offers, in a less intimate tone, once he's stepped back, ignoring the fact that she's gaping at him. "I imagine you're eager to get going."

Klaus whips off his shirt before rummaging through his clothes. Caroline might ogle. Just a little. She can't quite help it. Which Klaus is aware of, if the smugly knowing look he gives her before retreating into the bathroom is anything to go by.

Caroline hears the water start running, and it's then that his words hit her. At  _least_  friends. As in  _more_   _than_  friends.

Caroline flops back onto the bed and pulls a pillow over her face. God, she was so screwed.

* * *

Klaus emerges fully dressed from the bathroom. He'd been pushing Caroline's 'Absolutely No Nudity In The Room' rule often. And though she's yet to call him on it, partially since he'd deliberately been doing it when she'd already been flustered over something or another, he's not sure that trend will continue. Klaus is betting Caroline will have composed herself in the time it's taken him to shower.

Sure enough, she's sitting primly on the edge of the bed, her robe covering the silky purple pajama set she'd worn to bed. "Shower's yours," he tells her, collecting his wallet and phone. "I'll go grab us something for breakfast and we'll leave when you're ready?"

"Sure. What are we doing today?"

"Snorkeling?" Klaus turns to look at her, puzzled. He knows the itinerary and he'd not even made it.

"Still? But you won."

Klaus shakes his head. Clearly her low opinion of him wouldn't be something that magically went away, unfortunately. "I said I wanted the reins  _loosened_. That's all. I'm not going about to make you do things that only I want to do for the duration of the trip, Caroline."

"Oh. I just thought…"

Klaus cuts her off. They'll never get anywhere if Caroline keeps apologizing, "Look, you've never traveled, yeah?"

"Not all of us have trust funds." There's an edge of defensiveness in her tone and Klaus has to fight a touch of frustration.

"Not what I meant, love."

Caroline's posture softens, "I'm being an ass again, aren't I?"

"A bit," Klaus confirms with a chuckle, "Let's chalk it up to old habits, shall we? I just meant that this is your first trip, so you should leave yourself a little room for spontaneity. For something amazing to pop up that you absolutely  _have_  to do."

"I guess that makes sense," Caroline admits.

"Did you just admit that I was right?" Klaus teases, "I'll have to write that down, mark the occasion. Perhaps celebrate it, in the future."

Caroline rolls her eyes, but it's playful, "You do that. I'm pretty sure it won't happen again."

"And I'll take  _that_  as a challenge."

She laughs as she stands and brushes past him, "Why am I not surprised?"

Klaus exits the room as Caroline disappears into the bathroom and makes his way to the nearest dining room. He's not in any hurry. Caroline's not really one to be ready quickly, and Klaus welcomes the opportunity to mull over the new information he's just received, maybe stew in his anger a bit in private.

Bloody Damon Salvatore.

Klaus had not liked the man, right from their first introduction, finding Damon arrogant and overly fond of his own witticisms. Klaus rarely changed his initial opinion of someone but Damon never gave him even the slightest reason to. Quite the opposite really. The man was consistently obnoxious and the final straw had come the morning after the wedding.

Because frankly, even if Klaus hadn't grown to like Caroline, speaking of her in such a manner, so publically, was just not called for. She'd not even been a random fling of Damon's, from what Klaus had gleaned. Their relationship had lasted months, and Caroline and Stefan's friendship had remained strong, before, during and after. To crassly enumerate her physical charms, all the while disparaging her as a person, to a circle of laughing idiots, was absolutely deplorable. Klaus had only barely kept his temper in check.

He'd waited for them to be finished their riotous laughter, delivered a threat he very much regretted not following through on, especially now, and then walked away seething. Kol had followed, muttering about what a wanker the elder Salvatore was. He'd caught Caroline's eye not a minute later, but she's quickly looked away.

Looking back, it all makes so much more sense. So much so that Klaus is surprised he'd not put the pieces together before. Sure, he'd not seen Caroline listening in, but neither Damon nor any of his cronies had made much effort to be quiet. And it's not as though any of them could have been trusted to keep their mouths shut about it after.

Things could have been so very different, if only he'd realized then.

But, no use dwelling on the past.

Klaus went straight to the coffee counter in the back of the room, wondering if they had something approximating the caramel monstrosity Stefan had instructed him to order Caroline from Starbucks, back at the airport. Why coffee needed to be covered in whipped cream, Klaus could not tell you. There was a line, so Klaus pulled out his phone, and settled in to wait. Checking his email, he was unsurprised to see several from Rebekah from late last night.

 **From** : Rebekah Mikaelson-Salvatore

_Why is Caroline asking about you and Damon, out of the blue?_

**From:**  Rebekah Mikaelson-Salvatore

_Please tell me you two aren't chatting about him, of all things? Talk about something interesting, at least. Honestly, Nik. For all your dalliances, shouldn't you be better at this?_

**From:**  Rebekah Mikaelson-Salvatore

_Although it occurs to me that I don't even know why you hate Damon. Do I care? Not really. But I'm so very bored. Stefan's hiding in the kitchen. He bought me a bell. Can you believe that? It's the twenty-first century. I can just text him._

Klaus snorted quietly. Poor Stefan. A bell was a truly terrible idea. Klaus gave it 72 hours before one of them broke it. He tapped out a reply.

 **From:**  Niklaus Mikaelson

_It's a long story, Bekah. Suffice it to say that I loathe Damon even more now than I ever did before. Caroline overheard something he said and just wanted to know my thought on the matter, you could say. We're on the same page now._

**From:**  Rebekah Mikaelson-Salvatore

_FINALLY! Tell me everything._

**From:**  Niklaus Mikaelson

_I'm not one of your girlfriends, Rebekah._

**From:**  Rebekah Mikaelson-Salvatore

_Funny, I remember you being very good at braiding my hair._

**From:**  Niklaus Mikaelson

_It was not my fault that that horrid German nanny Mum hired had her hands full with Kol's nudist stage when you began school and I had to pitch in._

**From:**  Rebekah Mikaelson-Salvatore

_Yes, so you've said. Now, details!_

**From:**  Niklaus Mikaelson

_I'll still have to decline. Do you happen to know if Caroline likes horses?_

There was a lapse where Klaus assumed that Rebekah had summoned Stefan. He made his way to the front of the line and asked the man behind the counter about Caroline's preferred coffee. He was assured that they could make a decent replica so he ordered it, and a dark roast for himself, along with two croissants.

 **From:**  Rebekah Mikaelson-Salvatore

_Stefan says yes. Why? Come on, Nik! Give me something. I'm injured and pathetic, remember?_

Klaus rolled his eyes, perfectly able to envision Rebekah's pleading expression. But he found he felt a tiny pang of sympathy, despite that being Rebekah's obvious intention. With a sigh, and a vague feeling that he'd come to regret it, he emailed the picture he'd taken of him and Caroline that morning.

The reply was immediate.

 **From:**  Rebekah Mikaelson-Salvatore

_That's so cute I want to vomit._

* * *

When Klaus returned to the room Caroline was just finishing up braiding her hair. She hadn't seen much point in blow drying it, since they'd immediately be getting wet. Hopefully actual ocean water made beachy waves just like the overpriced spray she had at home. Makeup seemed kind of pointless, but Caroline threw a couple things into her bag, just in case.

Klaus handed he a paper cup, "This is apparently just like the sugary swill you drink."

Caroline took it, "Oh, you're a coffee snob. Why am I not surprised?"

"Is it snobbery to think one should drink actual coffee and not syrup? Because if so I will wear that badge proudly."

Caroline scoffed and took a careful sip, then closed her eyes in bliss, "You don't know what you're missing."

"I think I'll survive," Klaus responded dryly. He produced two water bottles and a couple of granola bars, "Will these fit in your bag?"

Caroline nodded, surprised. She'd actually planned on grabbing the exact same things. She got cranky when she was hungry (ask anyone) and the water was only smart, since it was much hotter in San Juan, than at home. "Yeah, no problem. Thank you."

"No trouble. Do you want to eat on the run or here? I brought croissants."

"I think we've got time to eat here. I like to dip."

Klaus made a face at that, but set the bag on the coffee table in the small living room, sitting down on the couch and waiting for her to join him. Caroline arranged herself against the arm, facing him, and tucked her coffee between her knees, "Chocolate or almond?" he asked.

"Chocolate, duh."

"Ah, yes. How could I forget your obsession?"

Caroline laughed at the reference to the wedding, "The fairy cakes?" she said, just as Rebekah pronounced it.

"That accent is atrocious, love. How many of those did you eat at the wedding, anyway?"

"My accent is amazing, thank you. And I think the name is far more adorable than cupcakes so I use it whenever I can."

"I note you dodged my question."

"Hey, I earned those calories, okay? Rebekah chose the most unforgiving bridesmaid dress in the history of the world. I had kale smoothies in lieu of lunch for  _weeks_." Caroline fought a shudder at the memory. Kale was a terrible torture device masquerading as a vegetable, in her opinion.

"You looked lovely," Klaus replied lightly, but not insincerely.

Caroline concentrated on ripping off a bite sized piece of flaky chocolate goodness, "Thanks. I'd have thought Rebekah would be the type to choose a horrible dress on purpose but she surprised me."

"Mmm. Cousin Freya made the same comment. Rebekah was horrified at the idea of something marring her wedding photos."

"That explains a lot, actually," Caroline said. She watched Klaus for a few moments, noting the careful bites and the way he actually made use of the napkin. Awarding mental bonus points because there was nothing she hated more than people who wiped their hands on furniture. He glanced at her quizzically, and she shook herself out of her staring, "So, snorkeling. Ever been?"

"A few times."

"Any tips?"

"Truthfully? I'm not very good at it. I get annoyed at the breathing tube and usually end up not using it and just going down and coming up as needed."

"Klaus Mikaelson admitting he's not good at something?" Caroline prodded, "Perhaps  _I_  should remember this day."

He sent her a smile, "Oh, I rather think you will. And with that in mind, I'd like to make my first adjustment to your itinerary. Only shortening your afternoon at the market, love. Nothing big. We just have to be back to the beach for 4 PM. I also took the liberty of pushing back your dinner reservation an hour. I think you'll want to come back here and change."

Caroline narrowed her eyes, mind racing over what he could possibly have planned. Why would she need to change? The place they were going to for dinner was really casual. She had mixed feelings about him messing with her plans, despite the fact that he technically had the right. On the one hand, she really, really hated surprises. On the other, he'd been surprisingly considerate so far. Caroline wavered, knowing the right thing to do was to give him the benefit of the doubt, even if it was a couple years too late. And hey, she's pretty sure a little trust will go a long way towards making their fresh start work.

"Take a chance, Caroline," Klaus cajoles.

Caroline drops her head back against the couch with a groan, "Alright! Fine. I will do my very best to be spontaneous. But, fair warning, you've got one shot to make me like this whole winging it thing."

"All I'll need, love. If it makes you feel any better I checked with Stefan, so I'm quite sure you like what I have planned. But no pumping him for details."

"I would never!" Caroline gasped, feigning outrage.

Klaus amused glance told her he wasn't buying it, "You would so. But he's been sworn to secrecy and he won't be willing to cross Bekah for a while yet. Not even for you."

"You are probably correct. I'm actually kind of glad I'm not around to witness that, you know? Nothing more awkward than being the third wheel in a couple fight."

Klaus laughed and got up to discard the bag, "You don't know awkward until you've walked in on Katherine and Elijah having makeup sex after an argument at the dinner table."

Caroline's mouth dropped open, "No way! Katherine, I totally see that. But Elijah? I kind of always assumed he slept in the suit."

"It happened, and it was traumatic," Klaus insisted, "Though it's proving to be an excellent piece of blackmail. A hard thing to get, on Elijah, let me tell you. But Rebekah would be livid if she knew they'd defiled her guest bath."

"Ooh, definitely. Kat and Bekah barely get along as is. I'm not allowed to tell anyone about The Bachelorette Party Incident, but let's just say it's a lucky thing I speak cop."

Klaus eyebrows rose in interest, "You cannot drop something like that into a conversation and then withhold the story, love."

"Nope, sorry. I took a solemn oath."

Klaus drops it, but she kind of thinks he'll try again, from the shrewd look in his eye, "Are you ready?" he asked, offering her his hand.

Caroline let him pull her to her feet, "As I'll ever be, I guess."

Klaus lets out a laugh, opening the door, "Can we muster a bit of excitement, maybe? Spontaneity won't kill you. I promise."

"If it does I'm totally haunting you," Caroline warns him, collecting her bag and letting him usher her out of the room, his palm low and warm (and kind of distracting!) on her back.


	5. Day Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline has doubts. Klaus soothes them.

**DAY FIVE: ST. THOMAS**

Unlike the previous three mornings Caroline did not wake up on sprawled on or surrounded by Klaus. But that wasn't because her body had gotten over its weird fascination with his body. Nope. She wasn't that lucky.

The reason she'd managed to stay on her side of the bed? Because she hadn't slept. Like at all.

Caroline's brain just would not turn off, and let her rest. She'd nodded off, a few times, only for a new thought to come clanging to the front of her consciousness, jerking her awake again. She'd tossed and turned and glared at Klaus' sleeping profile resentfully. He'd slept soundly, the large, ultra-plush bed apparently allowing him to be undisturbed by her restlessness. Which was so unfair, in Caroline's opinion. Her jumbled thoughts and confused emotions were entirely his fault. Why should he get to sleep like a baby when she was a mess?

Because last night had been basically the most perfect date imaginable. The producers of  _The Bachelor_  couldn't have planned anything better. And it hadn't even been an actual date! And Caroline didn't know how to feel about it.

Rolling onto her side, to face Klaus, she was half tempted to shove him off the bed again. But she wouldn't. Because Caroline Forbes was a mature adult, damn it.

Klaus' stupid, handsome, face was turned slightly away from her, and she found herself studying the firm line of his jaw, the moles on his neck. His facial hair was thicker in this morning and Caroline vividly remembered the scrape of it against her throat from the day before yesterday. The recollection immediately sent her brain down pervier avenues.

She blamed the sleep deprivation.

But Caroline can't help but remember that he'd been clean shaven at the wedding (as if Rebekah would have allowed anything else!) and how the barest rasp of his end of the night stubble along her inner thighs had made her squirm. She can't help but wonder how it would feel now. Different? Softer? Or would it leave a burn she'd feel all day?

Klaus shifts on his pillow and when Caroline looks up, at his face, he's turned towards her, blue eyes blinking open sleepily. Caroline starts and pulls the covers up higher. She's never been quite so happy that mind reading didn't actually exist. Because that would have been mega awkward. Klaus' brows furrow in confusion as he stares back at her for a few beats, before finally murmuring, voice scratchy, "Why are you over there?"

Caroline's brows shoot up in her surprise and she gropes for a reply. She watches, with interest, as Klaus becomes more alert, and processes what he'd just said. His eyes close briefly and he looks almost embarrassed when he looks at her again.

"Sorry," he says, clearing his throat, "I just meant…"

"That you've gotten used to waking up with a Caroline blanket?" she teases, trying to lighten the mood.

Klaus does laugh, turning onto his side to face her, "Something like that, love. But I can't say that I mind. You've met Kol, so I'm sure you can imagine that I've been awoken less than pleasantly in the past."

"Feathers and shaving cream, huh?"

"And that was one of the milder examples, yes. But you didn't answer my question."

He looks far too knowing and Caroline kind of wants to dive under the covers, mature adulthood be damned. It worked when she was six and convinced that she could hide from the monsters under her bed. Who's to say it wouldn't work now? Not that Klaus was a monster. Monstrously bad for her self-control, maybe.

Klaus is still watching her so Caroline shrugs, as casually as she can, "Guess I just couldn't sleep."

The corner of his lips curve up, like he's fighting a smirk. A prickle of annoyance creeps in, must he be so assured all the time? Though Caroline realizes that she probably shouldn't be staring at his lips. She lifts her eyes back to his when he speaks again, "And why the insomnia, sweetheart? We've been sharing this bed for days and I was under the impression that you're quite the sound sleeper."

She has to admit he has her pegged there. She'd always assumed it was growing up with a mom who kept odd hours but Caroline could pretty much sleep through the zombie apocalypse. It had been her saving grace in college with her weird freshman roomie who'd been really into thrash metal. But wait, does that mean Klaus had still been awake every time she'd done her nocturnal migrations? Ugh. He might have hinted that was the case before but her pride demanded that she avoid thinking about it too hard.

Klaus is watching her expectantly, waiting for an answer, and Caroline's not entirely sure what to say. She's kind of dying to blurt out, 'Why didn't you kiss me, you idiot?!' but won't let herself. Because while she had wanted him to kiss her last night, had been sure that he would, by the lingering looks and casual brushes of skin on skin they'd shared on their walk back to the boat, she wasn't entirely sure that it was actually a good idea.

Klaus lived in London. She lived in Virginia. Had he been a stranger, he would have been the perfect candidate for her vacation fling. He was hot, and intelligent, and he lit her body up like almost no one else, and he barely had to touch her. Had they met for the first time on this trip Caroline would have had no qualms about enjoying days with him, exploring the ports, then enjoying nights with him, tangled together, exploring their off the charts chemistry. She would have gone home with great memories, and no regrets, and she never would have seen him again.

But Klaus was not a stranger, and she would see him again. Her friendship with Stefan has survived more than a decade, and he (and now Rebekah) is an important part of Caroline's life, one she doesn't see changing. Klaus is Rebekah's brother, her favorite brother, so it's impossible that their paths won't cross again in the future.

And she's afraid it'll hurt, if she lets herself be with him, for such a short length of time. The confused emotions Klaus inspires are already way more complicated than anything she could feel for a stranger. Allowing them to deepen seems like a terrible idea.

A little concern has clouded Klaus' eyes, when she shakes off her wandering thoughts. Caroline forces a bright smile, unwilling, and truthfully unable, to put what's bothering her into words. "Don't worry about it, Klaus. I'm fine. Promise."

Caroline rolls away from him, before he can prod her further, and sits on the edge of the bed. She pulls out her braid, and forces a cheery tone, "The alarms going to go off soon anyway, so we might as well get ready to go. We have to be at the marina by nine and I don't want to be late."

"Caroline…" Klaus begins.

She stands from the bed, keeping her back to him, ignoring the question in his tone, "I'm going to shower first," Caroline declares, grabbing her toiletry bag and practically fleeing to the bathroom. Resting her back against the closed door she squeezes her eyes shut, when all she really wants to do is bang her head against the solid surface a few times. Maybe it would help. But he'd hear that, and probably be concerned, which would totally undo her swift retreat. God, she really needed to work on being such a coward.

She keeps running, instead of speaking up, and she hates it. It's not fair to Klaus, and it's kind of contrary to her personality. But Caroline hasn't really fallen for anyone since Damon, had truthfully been kind of scared to, since that relationship had ended so very horribly. Her friends lecture her about it, a few guys in the interim have grown frustrated with her tendency to hold back, but not letting herself get in too deep is a habit at this point.

And Caroline knows she should break it. But she's just not sure that Klaus is the best person to break it for.

There's the distance, and also the fact that she knows Klaus doesn't really do long term. She has no reason to expect that he wants to be her boyfriend, that he's even interested in being anyone's boyfriend. If she lays her card on the table, what then? What if she's setting herself up, only to fall hard and end up bruised once more?

But there's a tiny voice, one of optimism and hope, screaming loud enough to be heard over all her doubts. What if this could be good? What if she misses out, just because she's a little scared, does she really want to live with that kind of regret?

The thoughts are heavy, for 7:30 AM. Caroline kind of wonders if the ship serves mimosas, and how many she could get away with drinking this early in the day.

* * *

Caroline's swift retreat is mystifying to Klaus, to say the least. Yesterday had gone spectacularly, in his opinion. Her entire face had lit up, upon seeing a dozen horses at the beach. She'd turned to him, asked if they were the surprise he'd had in mind. Klaus had nodded, and then laughed at the excited little squeal Caroline had emitted. She'd grabbed his hand and pulled him along, greeting the people holding the horses with a beaming smile and excitedly patting the animals and asking their names.

One of the guides, a man named who appeared to be in his late fifties, and had introduced himself as Vin, had been charmed by Caroline and answered her rapid fire questions indulgently, until a few other couples had joined them.

Caroline had practically vibrated with excitement as they'd mounted, and the excursion was explained. They hadn't been able to talk much, on the trail with ten other people, but she'd smiled at him, every time their eyes caught. She'd breathed, "It's so pretty," watching the sunset at the conclusion of the ride, and Klaus had silently agreed, though he'd spent more time watching her awed expression, than the colors streaking across the sky. Once they'd dismounted and she'd said goodbye to her horse, she'd pulled him into a hug, murmuring, "Thank you Klaus, that was amazing," with such genuine wonderment, that Klaus had only been able to nod back, and return her hug to the best of his (probably subpar – his family was not much for hugging) abilities.

They'd rushed back to the boat to change for dinner, and Klaus' mouth had gone a little dry when she'd emerged in a midriff baring orange top and white skirt. Her hair was left loose and tousled, eyes smoky, lips glossy. He's gotten used to her more natural appearance on this trip, and though Caroline's always lovely, the extra reminder of just how beautiful she could be had been a bit of a kick in the gut.

He'd not thought to try and hide his awed reaction, but Caroline had evidently pleased, and they'd bantered back and forth on their way out the door.

Dinner had been excellent. Conversation had flowed easily, and she'd accepted his invitation to dance without hesitation. Neither of them quite knew the steps, but they'd swayed together to the sultry Latin music, bodies fitting together smoothly.

They'd called it an early night, knowing that the next day's wakeup call would approach quickly, and walked back to the boat in companionable silence. She'd been oddly subdued, once they entered the room, had emerged from the bathroom dressed in the hideous pajamas she'd purchased a few days ago, and barely reacted when he'd bid her goodnight.

Klaus had assumed she'd just been tired from their packed day, he certainly had been, and had drifted off easily, expecting to wake up with her comfortably draped over him, as had become their routine.

But when he'd opened his this morning eyes she'd been all the way across the bed, and his sleep addled mind had made it clear that he'd been displeased about it. Not exactly suave, but then he'd been pretty upfront about his enjoyment of her nightly journey into his space.

Klaus had been amused at first, thinking this was just another layer of her denial, that he could cajole it out of her, start the day with her laughing and flushed pink. But upon closer study he'd noted the shadows under her eyes, the frazzled hair, and faint exhaustion, leaving him worried.

And then she'd practically sprinted from him, leaving him perplexed and uneasy.

It's not a state he enjoys, so Klaus throws off the covers, and waits for Caroline to emerge from the bathroom, determined that they won't leave this room until he knows what's bothering her. He's honestly not sure how much more of the hot/cold, yes/no, he can take.

When she comes out, dressed for an active day, in shorts and a tank, feet in trainers, she takes one look at his resolved posture and deflates, groaning, "Ugh, I know. I am the worst."

Klaus rolls his eyes, pats the bed next to him, waits until she sits down, crossing her legs and facing him, "I wouldn't have put it that way, love. But you do give a man mixed signals."

Caroline shifts back, her face twisting in disbelief, "I give mixed signals? Seriously? A beach. Horses. A sunset, candlelit dinner. Dancing. It was a fairytale freaking date!"

Caroline's thrown her hands up, clearly frustrated, but Klaus is still a bit lost, "And that's a problem because…"

"Um, because it wasn't even a date?"

"Would you like it to have been?" Klaus asks curiously.

"You can't retroactively declare something a date, Klaus. For it to have been a date would have required an invitation. And a goodnight kiss. Just to make it official."

Klaus can't do much about the invitation, at this point. But a kiss he can handle.

He reaches a hand out, to cup her face. Runs his thumb along her lower lip as they part in surprise. Her eyes widen, and then drift shut as he leans in. Klaus plants a tiny kiss on the corner of her lips, then settles his mouth more fully over hers and lets his hand weave into her hair. He keeps things soft, and sweet, until her tongue is chasing his, and her hands are fisted in his t-shirt. Things turn heated, for a moment, arousal thrums heavy in his veins, and he shudders at the graze of her teeth. Klaus forces himself to pull back, before his body runs away from him, and he takes things too far. Klaus relishes the little protesting noise that comes from her throat as they disengage, and waits for her eyes to open. They're hazy and a darker blue than usual, and he barely refrains from pressing his mouth to hers once again. "Is that better? A little more official?" Klaus finds himself murmuring to distract himself from the desire to press her back against the bed.

Caroline looks confused, for a moment, before understanding dawns, and she shakes her head, "I believe a goodnight kiss traditionally happens at night, Klaus."

"I've never been a big fan of rules, sweetheart," Klaus replies with a smirk, tracing little patterns at the nape of her neck, with his index finger, enjoying the way her eyelids flutter as she leans back into the caress.

Caroline's face falls, and she shuffles back so he's forced to stop touching her, "Yeah, I know," she says, and is that a bit of disappointment coloring her tone?

"I think I'm lost again," Klaus tells her, a touch exasperated. "Whatever's bothering you, Caroline, just  _say_  it. Did you really enjoy avoiding me for years? Was it fun for you, being in my company, when you thought so little of me? Wouldn't it have been better, to have things out in the open? What's the worst that could happen?"

Her head tips to the side, her eyes are serious, and considering, on his. Klaus finds himself almost holding his breath, wondering what she'll decide.

"You live in London. And you're Rebekah's brother," is what Caroline finally says, and Klaus has no idea what those two factual statements are supposed to mean. He's going to need more, and he waits for her to continue. But she doesn't. Merely continues watching him with an air of resignation.

"I'm aware of both of those things, love. And they've come to bother you because…" Klaus inquires leadingly.

Caroline plays with the hem of her shorts, biting her lip, "They don't  _bother_  me, per se. They just make you a terrible option for a vacation fling."

"I wasn't aware I was being reduced to something as tawdry as that," Klaus snaps back.

She huffs, annoyed, and perhaps Klaus shouldn't have worded that quite so derisively. "Don't clutch your pearls so hard, Nana. A little casual sex between consenting adults isn't something to get judgmental about. And it's a wee bit hypocritical, from what I've heard about your love life."

"I have no issues with casual sex, love. I take issue with the fact that you seem to think that's what we'd be having."

Caroline's jaw drops, and he watches as she snaps it shut. She shakes her head and blurts out, "Wait, what?" her voice pitching higher on the last syllable.

Klaus sighs, and scoots closer. Lays his palms on her shoulders and waits until he has her full attention, "While I feel like I've been very clear about my intentions, you seem to have some doubts. So let me attempt to quell them. I enjoy you, Caroline. And while I very much do desire to have sex with you, that little taste from years ago haunts me, you see, that's not  _all_  that I want."

She takes a deep breath, her eyes still rounded in shock, "I…" she squeaks, before clearing her throat, "London?"

Klaus drops his hands, letting them drag down her arms, before he gives a dismissive shrug, "I'm self-employed. And very rich, as you yourself have pointed out. I can fly to Virginia without much fuss, stay as long as I like. Both Rebekah and Elijah live near you, so it's not as if I'd be in your hair constantly either."

"Oh," Caroline stutters, "I didn't think…"

She trails off again, looking a bit overwhelmed. Klaus hastens to reassure her, "I haven't made any plans. I'm just saying that the distance isn't such an obstacle. Not one that should prevent us from exploring whatever this thing we have could be."

Caroline still has doubts, Klaus can see, and he suspects that they stem from his slightly checkered history (and damn Rebekah's loose lips!) with women, and the lack of long term relationships in it. But he thinks he's given her more than enough to consider, for right now. He has the rest of today, after all, and another week after that.

He grabs her hand, presses a kiss to her wrist, exactly as he'd done yesterday. She inhales sharply in reaction. Klaus drops her hand as he stands from the bed, glancing at the time, "Now, I know that tardiness gives you hives, so I'll hop in the shower. Can you grab some food? I'll meet you on deck in twenty."

Caroline nods mutely, and Klaus lets himself into the bathroom, now allowing himself to linger. The room's still humid and smells of her body wash. He takes a deep breath, the scent sending a new twitch of interest to his cock, which hadn't entirely deflated after it had roared to life at Caroline's enthusiastic response to his advances.

Turning the shower on, Klaus debates the temperature. Cold, or hot? Forcing his thoughts down boring, disgusting avenues, until his libido was under control, or a quick, dirty fantasy, of how he'd like to wake Caroline, one of these days?

Hot wins, along with thoughts of Caroline, languid and sleepy, but moaning encouragingly as he plays with her. And if Klaus slicks his hand, with a bit of her soap, easing the way as he strokes himself, well Caroline will never know, will she?


	6. Day Six

**DAY SIX: GUSTAVIA, ST. BARTS**

She knows it's late, the ship is quiet, and the last drunk straggler in the hallway had long since passed. But Caroline refuses to grab her phone and glance at the time. It'll only make her feel worse tomorrow.

She's been tossing and turning, once again unable to get any rest. Her stupid brain just won't turn off. She'd blamed Klaus yesterday, but finds that she can't do so this time. He'd put his cards on the table, and yet she's still so uncertain.

She rolls onto her side, away from Klaus, hoping that if she can't see him, she'll forget he's there. It's highly annoying, this insomnia thing. Caroline really, truly, enjoys sleeping, and is usually excellent at it. Two sleepless nights in a row? Not a good thing. It's possible that even mainlining coffee will leave Caroline extra short tempered tomorrow, and she pities the first person to piss her off. Maybe she'll just hide out in the room all day, take advantage of the very nice, very large bathtub the room came with.

It's an option, because there's nothing concrete planned, another veg day, so at least she can sleep in. Assuming, of course, that Caroline can ever manage to get to sleep.

Caroline flips her pillow again, smothers a sigh in its semi-coolness. Her entire body kind of aches (totally Stefan's fault, with his insistence on throwing in the day of kayaking/hiking. Who thought exercising was an appropriate vacation activity? Weirdos, that's who). And for all that she'd hoped 'out of sight, out of mind' would work she knows that Klaus is awake too, even with her back to him. Caroline can feel him turn in her direction, every so often. She feels the weight of his eyes on her, feels him thinking about saying something.

He hasn't yet. And Caroline's kind of glad, because she doesn't trust herself not to word vomit her all over him and she'd really prefer to avoid that. She's acted like a nutso basket case where Klaus is concerned, more than often enough, these last few days. His patience can't be endless, and she'd hate for him to decide that he's just not that into her.

Because she'd had a really good time with him yesterday. At no point had things felt date-y, to Caroline, so she'd been able to relax, and had stopped analyzing Klaus' words and actions for hidden meanings. Klaus, as it turned out, was really good company. A little prickly, with strangers, but he'd made an effort not to be outright rude, at least.

Yesterday morning he met her on the deck, with two minutes to spare, hair damp and dressed for activity. The sneakers had thrown her off, to be honest. Logically she knew Klaus must work out (because the abs she'd felt up that first night did not lie) but she just couldn't picture him on a treadmill.

She might devote some mental energy to picturing him lifting weights. Shirtless. Later on, when she was alone. Because it was probably creepy to be mentally drooling over the image of him, sweaty and half-naked, when he was less than two feet away.

Approaching him, Caroline had been a little leery of how Klaus would act with her. He'd kind of kissed the crap out of her, and she'd barely had time to process it, before he'd super casually insinuated that he wouldn't be opposed to something relationship like. With her. Because he  _enjoyed_  her.

How was Caroline even supposed to take a statement like that? Was he expecting some kind of response? She'd fretted about it, waiting in line for food and coffee, and had been a ball of tongue tied anxiety as he'd strolled up to meet her.

But he hadn't brought it up, had just taken the breakfast sandwich and the paper cup she'd offered him, and said thanks. She'd begun pelting him with questions, for lack of anything better to do. He'd amiably answered them. Yes, he'd been kayaking a few times, no it wasn't that hard, and don't worry, this excursion is probably designed to be pretty easy, etc.

And he'd been right, and Caroline had kept up just fine. Even now, the soreness in her arms and shoulders wasn't necessarily overexertion, but more that feeling you got when your muscles had been challenged in a way they usually weren't. Like how one thigh always had a twinge in it the day after she'd kicked ass at the bowling alley.

Like most of the cruise activities the eco tour they'd booked had been heavily populated by couples, who seemed to assume that she and Klaus were also a couple. Caroline had just gone with it, this time. Having to explain her relationship with Klaus took forever (and often resulted in people making the 'okay, I'll humor her because she's crazy' face, as Caroline had discovered a when she's attempted it, the first few days of the cruise). Plus, Klaus had gone from being a friend's older brother who she semi loathed (despite the fact that they'd hooked up that one time), to a 'we're stuck together, so let's make lemonade!' travel companion, to a tentative friend, to a guy who she maybe wanted to date, all in the span of six days. Who knew what he'd be to her on day ten?

And yeah, maybe glaring at a woman who'd been ogling Klaus' ass, when he'd bent over to tie his shoe, didn't exactly scream 'We're not together!' But the woman hadn't known that, had she? Which made the lusty eyes pretty rude, in Caroline's opinion.

Caroline had been about to say something biting, but the woman had turned to her, and her expression had been respectful, more 'congratulations on tapping that,' than 'I'm so going to tap that,' and so Caroline had been slightly mollified. The woman had introduced herself, and her own reasonably hot husband. The couple, Jenn and Dave, had actually turned out to be pretty cool, so Caroline had managed to forget her initial impulse to scratch out Jenn's eyeballs.

She hadn't gotten around to explaining that Klaus wasn't her boyfriend, though.

Flipping onto her back again, Caroline startles when Klaus sits up, and flicks on the lamp next to the bed. She throws her arm up to shade her face from the sudden brightness, groaning, "Ugh, my eyes," in protest.

She's still squinting, when she drops her hand, and Klaus is watching her expectantly, looking tired and adorably rumpled, "What's the matter, Caroline?" he asks, soft and concerned. "You barely slept last night, and I know I'm exhausted after today so I can't imagine you aren't."

She feels kind of terrible, keeping him up, just because she can't keep a lid on her palpable anxiety, "I'm sorry! I'll try to stop moving, so you can sleep."

"It's not the moving, really. I can practically hear your thoughts clanging about. Penny for them?"

Caroline considers the offer. If she was at home, she'd need some solid girl talk, complete with Ben and Jerry's and wine, to get her head on straight. But she lacks that option here. She's made a few acquaintances, yes. But no one who knows her, how she thinks, her idiosyncrasies and insecurities, which she'd be the first to admit are many and varied.

No one except Klaus, who's proven to be kind of an excellent Caroline-reader, and isn't that a pain?

Caroline chews on her lip for a minute, before making a decision, "Can you turn off the light? And maybe not look at me?"

Klaus looks confused, not that Caroline blames him, but he does as she asks, turning off the lamp before laying back down. He lies on his back, mimicking Caroline, and looks up at the ceiling. She clears her throat before speaking, "So, this is about to get super personal and probably awkward. But I have some questions. About some things."

Klaus laughs softly, "Thank you for the warning. And while I cannot promise answers, I can try."

"Fair enough. You're 29."

Klaus shifts, probably thrown by the statement when she'd promised questions, but he rolls with it, "Correct."

"You're attractive, successful. And not a total loss, in the personality department."

"Such compliments, love. I'm blushing."

Caroline rolls her eyes, let's her arm travel over to his side of the bed to give him a shove, ignores his surprised grunt, along with the sarcasm, before continuing, "You date, a lot. According to Rebekah. But always casually."

"That would depend on your definition of 'a lot.' My sister does tend to exaggerate."

"When's the last time that you had a relationship that lasted more than six months?" she says it in kind of a rush, wanting to know but feeling like it's maybe none of her business.

Klaus is silent, for several long moments, "University, actually."

"So you see my issue?" Caroline doesn't wait for him to reply, "Look, I make no bones about the fact that I'm a relationship kind of girl. I like them. I get invested, and I'm not good at casual. Sometimes that sucks, and sometimes I get screwed. I've learned to be a little cautious, and not dive right into situations that are going to end with me in tears, you know?"

Klaus rolls towards her, and Caroline cautiously turns her head to meet his eyes. His expression is serious, and he while he doesn't get louder than the hushed tone they've been using, he speaks firmly when he answers, "I know those things about you, Caroline. And I never would have pursued you at the wedding, so intently, had I not accepted them."

"Really?" Caroline blurts out, "because if I'm just some challenge, or whatever…"

Klaus sighs, scoots a little closer, though he does not touch her, "Yes, really. I've admitted that my designs on you, at our first acquaintance, had nothing to do with getting to know you. But you, quite obviously, made it known that you had no interest in rolling into and out of my bed, for a single evening. It would have been easy to move on, to find another woman more amenable to such an arrangement. Several of Rebekah's work acquaintances were incredibly forward, I'll have you know."

Caroline distinctly remembers a redhead in a tacky snakeskin dress getting handsy with Klaus at the engagement party. And she only recalls that because snakeskin and string quartets didn't mix. And maybe because she'd paid more attention to Klaus than she should have, even when she thought he was an uber-dick.

"But I got to know you, in bits and pieces, and when I left I still found myself thinking of you. That's not usual, for me."

Caroline can't help the sardonic raise of her eyebrow, though she bets Klaus misses it in the dim lighting. The wry way she says, "Oh, really?" probably clues him into her feelings on the statement.

He makes an aggravated noise, "I'll admit that it sounds terrible, love. But I like women. And they like me. I don't often need to work all that hard. And it's been a long time since I'd found myself thinking about a particular woman, long after they'd left my sight."

Caroline turns that over in her head, for a moment, "Stefan said you asked about me."

Klaus lets out a short laugh, "Well, that's a bit humiliating. But yes, I did. And not just Stefan, but I asked Rebekah, too. Even my mum."

That probably hadn't gone over well. Caroline had always gotten the feeling that Esther Mikaelson didn't like her. She'd never taken it all that personally, because Esther didn't seem to like anyone, save her oldest son, all that much.

Klaus continues speaking, "So I used what I'd learned and I set out to change your mind, at the wedding. I resolved to leave with your good opinion, if nothing else. Why would I have bothered caring what you thought of me, were I not genuinely interested?"

He wouldn't have, Caroline can grudgingly admit.

"And I very well might be shit at relationships. I might be the worst boyfriend you'll ever have. But I've every confidence you'll tell me that. And I like to think I'm a smart man, love. Capable of learning, at the very least."

It might not be flowery speech, but it was honest. And wasn't that maybe even better?

Caroline feels her heart speed up, her breath catching, when she feels Klaus' fingertips on her wrist. She doesn't know if that's always been an erogenous zone, that no one's ever exploited, or if it's just him and how she reacts to his skin on hers, however innocent.

Klaus rubs his thumb over her quickening pulse, glides it down and across her palm, feathery strokes that really shouldn't be affecting her like they do.

Such a simple, nothing, touch. It shouldn't make her thoughts tangle like it does.

"Take a chance, Caroline," Klaus murmurs, close to her ear, dark and low and almost beseeching.

Caroline closes her eyes, to better enjoy the heat radiating up her arm. She finds herself nodding, and her fingers cross unconsciously. She hopes that this is a gamble she won't come to regret.

* * *

Klaus has become accustomed to waking up, entwined with Caroline, though it's been less than a week since he'd first been introduced to the pleasure. This morning, however, might be the first time, in his life, that he's been the little spoon. Perhaps he should hate it, find it emasculating, but Klaus can't, for it is not without benefits.

Caroline had switched back to what he assumes is her regular night clothes, stowing the baggy, unflattering pink ones she'd bought. He can feel her breasts, pressed into his back, with only two thin layers of cotton separating his skin from hers. Caroline's legs are resting against his, all that smooth, warm, tempting, skin bared by her little shorts, brushing against him. Her hand has crept under his shirt again, and the occasional flex of her fingers, low on his stomach, causes his muscles to tighten in response.

It would be so easy for her, to slip her hand lower, into the waistband of the shorts he wears, and lower still to wrap around him.

Klaus pushes the thought away before he can begin to dwell on it. He already expects that he'll once again be reduced to wanking in the shower, no need to let his imagination run wild, and force the timetable up. He might as well take a few seconds to savor this, because while Caroline had seemed to make a decision in the wee hours, had seemed to agree to give him a chance, Klaus knows that it's entirely possible she'll see things differently, in the daylight.

But Klaus is fairly confident it his ability to change her mind, should she be attacked by doubts, once again. Because at least now he knows that she wants him, wants to try.

But it would be so nice if he didn't have to. If Caroline could be sure, at least a little.

He closes his eyes, and syncs his inhales and exhales to Caroline's. Eventually he feels her begin to move, stirring awake. She doesn't immediately stiffen, or roll away, which Klaus takes as a good sign. She even makes a sleepy, protesting grumble, her grip on him tightening, when he begins to pull away. Klaus chuckles, but pries her hand off of him, sitting up. She clutches his pillow, her face scrunched up, "Nope," Caroline mumbles, "not moving. Morning sucks. Still sleepy."

Klaus eases off the bed, pulls the blankets up so she won't get cold. He debates trying to wake her up, but they don't have anything pressing planned, and she probably needs it the extra minutes. Caroline burrows under the covers, until all that's left visible is the upper half of her face, and a mass of blonde curls. Caroline says something else, but it's garbled by her half-unconscious state, and the pillow she's snuggling into. But he smiles anyway, as he heads into the bathroom to shower. Because Klaus is almost certain, that somewhere in that drowsy string of words, had been his name.

* * *

She'd woken up sometime while Klaus was in the shower, having long ago trained her body to limit itself to only one snooze cycle. Caroline had stretched her sore muscles, listening intently. And while at first she'd heard only splashing water, she'd made out other noises soon after. Low, needful, sounds that she recognized as the ones Klaus made when he was aroused. Caroline's body had lit up in response, and her thighs clenched together in time with Klaus' groans. She'd felt a little burst of panic, when the shower had stopped running. Caroline wasn't entirely certain she could look Klaus in the eye, pretend she'd been asleep, immediately after that. Not that she was judging. She indulged in similar activities, once or twice, or pretty much every day since the cruise had started. Kind of hard not to, given the whole bed sharing, accidental cuddling, thing.

So Caroline had curled in the blankets (though she peeks when he comes out of the bathroom, unfortunately fully dressed), not emerging until the door to the suite shuts behind Klaus as he leaves.

At which point she immediately threw the covers off, and darted over to her bags. She'd retrieved her laptop and sat back down on the bed.

Because Caroline Forbes doesn't do things half-assed, and she needed to make some plans.

She'd been trying to remember all the things she'd researched about Gustavia, back when she and Rebekah had been in full planning mode. There was a Catamaran trip booked for tomorrow, but today was free. She'd sort of planned to just lie on one of the beaches, maybe do a little shopping. It was supposed to be a little swankier, than some of the other destinations, so Caroline figured that she'd maybe have better luck finding something for Katherine, who's tastes were nothing if not champagne.

But those plans have been pushed aside, because Caroline wants to do something for Klaus, something that shows that she's in, as much as he's said that he is. Can she top horses and a romantic sunset? Probably not. But then, he'd called for help, and she sort of wants to avoid doing that. She's pretty sure that Rebekah will have a billion and one things to say, and Caroline would rather avoid that, for now. Forever, if she's being honest. But Rebekah is nothing if not tenacious, so Caroline has no illusions that she'll actually be able to.

But then Klaus returns, far more quickly than Caroline had anticipated. Surprised, she shoves the notepad she's been scribbling on under a pillow.

She realizes that probably looked bad, like she felt guilty, half a second too late, when Klaus' face falls slightly. Caroline opens her mouth to explain, but Klaus beats her to it, forcing a friendly tone, "I didn't expect you to be awake. You were still dead to the world, when I left."

"Must've been the door," Caroline replies, "I got up right after you left." Only partially the truth. But things were awkward enough, with him looking at her like he expected her to bolt at any moment, without adding, 'I woke up to hear you masturbating in the shower' into the mix.

"Oh," Klaus blinks, looking apologetic, before he looks down at his hands, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I brought coffee. I know you haven't managed much sleep, these last two nights. There are croissants, again, as well. I thought you'd sleep longer, but they'll be serving breakfast, for another half hour, so if you want something else, you can hurry…"

"Klaus stop," Caroline interrupts his rambling. It's possibly the most discomfited she's ever seen him, and it makes her feel like the jerkiest of jerks. "This isn't me freezing you out again," she tells him.

He glances up at that, a little guarded, but hopeful too, "It's not?" he questions, and she can't blame him for the obvious skepticism.

"No," she insists. Caroline swallows, steels herself. She's pretty sure he won't reject her, but that doesn't make what she's about to do any less stress inducing, "Would you like to go out with me?" Caroline asks. It comes out quickly, pitch rising with her nerves.

But Klaus smiles, slow and pleased, after a few beats. "Are you asking me on a date, love? Or do I have to wait for you to kiss me goodnight, before I can officially consider it such?"

Caroline can't help the amused noise that emerges at his teasing. She tips her head, considering, "Whoa. I think you're getting ahead of yourself. Maybe I won't want to kiss you, huh?"

It's a lie and he knows it.

Klaus approaches the bed, eyes dark and smirk wicked, setting their breakfast down on the bedside table. He sits on the bed, his thigh pressed to hers. He trails his fingers along her calf, watches knowingly as Caroline presses her lips together to hold in a gasp, as they drift higher, "I'm not worried, sweetheart. I think you want to kiss me now, I think you'll want to kiss me then, too. Where are you taking me?"

Caroline shifts, suddenly unsure, "Uh, I found this place that does picnics? Fancy ones, wine and cheese and stuff. And I remember you seemed to know a lot about wine, at the wedding. So I figured you might like it? And maybe it's kind of lame, but I realized I don't actually know you that well, but I'd like to, and I'll do better next time…"

Klaus leans in and cuts her off with a kiss, letting out a satisfied hum when he licks into her mouth, and she meets him stroke for stroke. His hand slips around the nape of her neck, thumb brushing her jaw. The angle's a little awkward, but he encourages her to tilt her head, as he pulls back, runs his mouth down her throat, languidly exploring, until Caroline's got the sheets clenched in her hands and her eyes squeezed shut.

Klaus rests his forehead against hers, "It sounds fantastic, Caroline. Honestly."

She studies him, as she waits for her body to calm, and she thinks he's being truthful. And second guessing his every action has gotten her nowhere. So Caroline pulls back, tosses him a little smirk of her own, deciding he deserves a little payback for his smugness, "Good. I thought we'd have it on one of the beaches? They look very pretty, and I've been saving a particularly tiny bikini. You know, for a special occasion."

Klaus eyes widen momentarily, before he narrows them in a playful glare, "That's mean, love, taunting a man like that. I think the little blue one's been my favorite, so far, but I look forward to your version of 'particularly tiny.'"

Caroline leans in, kisses him again quickly, hopping off the bed as he reaches for her to deepen it, "Play your cards right," she singsongs, as she saunters towards the bathroom, "and you might just see the nighttime version of particularly tiny. I'll give you a hint: it's black and lacy."

The small, nearly inaudible, moan Klaus lets out sends a little thrill down Caroline's spine. She catches his eye, just before she shuts the bathroom door between them. The way he's watching her is heated, his lips are parted and his hands are gripping the edge of the mattress, like it's taking all sorts of self-control to keep himself from following her.

Caroline bites back a giggle, once she's alone in the bathroom. It was a heady thing, the way Klaus wanted her. And maybe she won't bite back her moans, as she follows his example, and takes care of her own needs in the shower. It was only fair, wasn't it? Since she'd listened to him.


	7. Day Seven

**DAY SEVEN: GUSTAVIA, ST. BARTS**

Klaus has been awake for several minutes, in no hurry to leave the bed. He's on his back, and Caroline's sprawled half on her stomach, and half on him, her leg thrown over his. They've kicked the blankets off, their shared body heat enough to keep them comfortable. Last night was the first time his hands had done any wandering, and Klaus knows he should probably move them before Caroline wakes. His left hand has crept up the back of the shirt she's wearing and the softness of her skin calls to him, as he idly traces the dip at the small of her back.

When she stirs, Klaus braces himself, expecting her to roll away, and throw sarcastic quips, as she's done most other morning, when they'd woken like this. It's stung a little, each time. Klaus' self-esteem is more than healthy, too healthy, certain people would say, but having a woman you enjoy treat you like you're repulsive is a blow.

So he's pleasantly surprised when she merely slips to the side, smothering a yawn against him. She stretches, the arch of her back pushing her breasts more firmly into his side. Klaus is not sure if he's imagining the feel of stiff, straining nipples, if it's wishful thinking caused by the way he'd made himself keep things light and low key last night. He reacts, all the same, and he wants nothing more than to pull her back on top of him. He'd allowed himself only a kiss, before saying goodnight, his body fairly screaming at him in aroused protest. His brain had joined, when Caroline had come out of the bathroom, dressed in yellow, so like the tiny bikini she'd taunted him with. But the pajamas were clingy, and lacy, and Klaus hadn't allowed himself to look close enough to see if the lace was sheer, before he'd turned out the lights. He'd sensed a little confusion from her, especially when he'd kept his distance as they'd fallen asleep.

But jumping right to sex hadn't worked out so well for them, in the past. And as much as he wants to go there again, he's hesitant.

He's not entirely sure he's exorcised all Caroline's doubts, and Klaus intends to, before he has her like that again. He wants her mind on him, and the pleasure he's planning on providing her, not distracted by worries about what will happen after.

She lets out a little moan as she moves, but Klaus is pleasantly surprised when, instead of retreating, Caroline settles next to him, her head still resting on his shoulder, with a mumbled, "Morning."

Klaus clears his throat, and returns the greeting, stilling the motions of his fingers. She hums out a protest, shifts back against his hand, "No, don't stop. It's nice."

Her own hand has begun to move, fingertips wandering up his side, and Klaus tenses when she nears a particularly sensitive area. Her hand stops, and her head lifts slowly, eyes suspicious, "Wait, is Klaus Mikaelson actually ticklish?"

He fights not to react, not to deny it too hastily, "Of course not," he says, but Caroline's not fooled, her eyes lighting up and a sly grin curving her mouth.

"Oh really," she says, drawing out the vowels, "so it won't matter if I just…"

Klaus feels her tense, just before she strikes, and he moves quickly, immobilizing her hand against his side, "Are you sure you want to start this, Caroline? I'd hate to have to retaliate?"

"Maybe I'm not ticklish."

Klaus scoffs, "Everyone is. Somewhere. It's just the matter of finding the right spot."

Caroline tips her head, expression thoughtful, "Hmm. There's totally a dirty joke about you investigating my spots in there, but I'm way too much of a lady to make it."

Klaus sputters out a laugh at that, and Caroline takes advantage of his distraction, throwing her leg over his waist and sitting up, neatly pinning one of his hands under her shin. Her hand presses into the spot she'd found. Klaus squirms involuntarily, clenching his jaw to keep from laughing as he fights to get away. Caroline squeezes her thighs around his hips, easily avoiding being thrown off. He reaches for her, grabs at her hands, but she manages to dodge, swatting his single hand away easily.

She lets up, and Klaus finds himself gasping for a breath, but her fingers are quick, sneaking under his t-shirt. He expects an attack, but the feathery strokes she makes against his skin are almost worse. He's fighting shivers, and jolting when she grazes too closely to where he's ticklish. But there's something about the way she's watching him, the weight of her gaze, sending little tendrils of heat snaking through his body. His heartbeat picks up, and he's about to squirm for very different reasons. Klaus keeps his eyes on her face, certain that if he looks down he'll lose the battle with his libido. The shorts she'd worn to bed had been small, and he knows he'll be able to see most of her thighs, situated as she is. He vividly remembers the taste of the skin there, the firmness of it under his teeth.

He breathes shallowly, is careful not to move, because if she shifts back more than a couple of centimeters she'll be brushing up against his cock, half hard since he'd woken up, entirely ready since she'd straddled him. And while she must be more than aware of how she affects him, cannot have missed it, sharing the bed as they've been, he doesn't wish to add to the rising tension between them.

Caroline's looking down at him, curls wild and tangled about her face, as though she want to devour him. The blue of her eyes has darkened and her face no longer amused, though her lips are parted and she'd breathing just a bit faster than normal. Her breasts swell temptingly against the deep v of the top she's wearing.

She leans forward, bracing her hands on either side of his head, and Klaus curses himself, but he turns away. He swallows audibly, murmurs, "That's not a good idea, love."

Caroline keeps moving, skimming her nose along his throat, in a mimicry of what he'd done to her that second morning. She utters a low, "Why not?" against the skin of his collarbone, the drag of her lips, the wet touch of her tongue along the bone making him clench his hand in the sheets.

His voice has dropped, roughened, when he answers, "Take pity on a man, Caroline. It's very difficult for me not to roll you over, and tear off that flimsy thing you call nightwear."

"Newsflash, Klaus. I would be totally fine with that."

Klaus grits his teeth, silently cursing himself for what he's about to do. The backs of her fingers brush his stomach, curling around the hem of his t-shirt, and he forces the words out in a rush, "But I'm not, love."

* * *

Caroline freezes immediately and scrambles to get off of him, because no always means no, any idiot knew that. But Klaus stops her, sitting up and grabbing her waist, "Hey, hey. Not so fast."

Caroline pauses, on her knees, keeping her weight off of him, "Now who's giving mixed signals? If you want me to stop molesting you, you really should let me go."

"I'm certain I didn't say 'molesting.' And, if you think I wasn't enjoying myself, you're insane."

Caroline rolls her eyes, settling more against him, since he seems unwilling to let her get up. She can feel just how much he'd been 'enjoying himself.' It's tempting to rock against him, test how committed he is to this whole stopping thing, but his grip tightens, almost as if Klaus can tell what she's thinking.

"So what's the problem?" Caroline wonders. "You want me. I want you. Sex is the logical conclusion."

"I just think that we should wait a bit, before becoming more intimate."

She shifts back, studying his face, but he seems completely serious. Caroline can't help blurting out, "Why?" She's surprised, and a tiny bit disappointed. Okay fine, more than a tiny bit. If there's anything she's confident in, it's that Klaus continued sexual interest. He'd all but done the cartoon eyes popping out of the head thing yesterday, when she'd stripped off her dress at the beach. He'd shown his attraction from pretty much their first introduction, has said the words, on this very trip.

She'd denied her own attraction, as pointless as that had been, and sees no use in continuing to do so. Caroline's become used to waking up aroused, and this morning is no exception. And staying in bed all day, doing more than just accidentally cuddling, has definite appeal.

Klaus glances away, seeming a tiny bit embarrassed, "We moved quickly, at Rebekah's wedding, Caroline."

"And?" Caroline asks, because she remembers. His mouth on her had been freaking incredible, and she'd definitely like a repeat performance. And to return the favor. Because she was polite like that.

"And I've every confidence that we're compatible, in that arena. So I see no need to rush. You made an excellent point yesterday, about how little we know one another. I think we've made a start, but there's much more I want to learn about you."

Caroline mulls that over. On the one hand: endearingly sweet and not at all what she would have expected from Klaus, for all that he's proven to be more than the womanizing douche that she expected him to be. On the other hand: she wants him. Bad.

"And," Klaus continues, studying her reactions, "I don't think you're convinced that this will be more than a vacation fling. And I would like you to be."

Ugh. There's that annoyingly accurate perceptiveness again. Caroline's trying, she really is. But there's a persistent little voice, feeding her doubts, telling her that she'd convenient, that if there were more single women around, that if they weren't stuck in the same room, Klaus wouldn't look twice in her direction. It's getting fainter, though. And the fact that he's not jumping to sex, even though she's clearly willing, has to mean something, right?

Caroline tries to turn it into a joke, "You don't have secret mind reading powers, do you? Cause that's something I'm going to need you to disclose. A girl likes a little privacy, you know?"

"You have an expressive face, sweetheart. No telepathy needed."

It's another hint that he pays attention to her, another little clue that this might be real. It's both scary and exhilarating.

"Alright," Caroline tells him, "if that's what you want, I won't argue." She's had more than one sleazeball try to coax her into going farther than she wanted to. She wasn't about to be a sleazeball. But she had questions, and told Klaus so.

"I wouldn't expect anything else," Klaus responded indulgently, "Fire away."

"What's my timeline here?" Caroline asks, "I don't think I've ever had to work, to get a guy into my pants, so how about a hint? Do I need to quiz you? Is this like that whole three date rule thing? Do we have a go word? You say 'giraffe' and it's naked time? Something like that?"

Klaus fell back onto the bed with a laugh, folding his arms behind his head, and looking up at her. "I'll admit I'd not thought that far in advance."

"Well get thinking. I like plans. And schedules. And deadlines."

"And I like spontaneity, if you recall."

"Have I mentioned how annoying I find that?" Caroline might be glaring a little, but Klaus only grins, dimples on full display.

"You and I both know that you've liked my little deviations from your itinerary."

She can't deny it, without being a big fat liar, and they both know it. "Alright fine, we'll play it by ear. But are we talking middle school rules here? Hand holding and maybe the odd kiss? Is it cheating if I break out the big guns lingerie?"

Klaus eyes flit down. Caroline knows that the tank hides little, and reads the obvious appreciation in his gaze. "The little number you're wearing isn't the big guns?"

Caroline waves a dismissive hand, "Oh no. Not at all. This is a small to medium gun. There's way less fabric, to the big guns."

Klaus inhales sharply, interest flitting plain across his features, "Well, I think we're well beyond middle school, so do your worst."

It's a challenge, and Caroline does love those. She's pretty sure Klaus knows that, too. She doesn't even bother to hide her smirk, "I promised black and lacy, didn't I? Although there was this red strappy thing at the boutique that looked intriguing…" Caroline trails off suggestively, bringing her hand up to trace her collarbone.

Klaus eyes grow heated, watching her, "Try to pace yourself."

"That's no fun, though. But to clarify, I can flirt and tempt, and try to get you to crack, to my heart's content?"

"I look forward to it, love. But I'm a grown man, fully capable of controlling myself."

There was a smug confidence to him, and Caroline was already planning on making him eat those words. But she'd take his advice, and think of this like a marathon. And not a sprint.

"We should get up. It must be getting late," Caroline leans over Klaus, not so coincidentally rubbing herself against him. His eyes squeeze shut, as his head digs back into the pillow. She grabs his phone, checks the time, "Yep. We've got forty minutes. I'll run for food." She rotates her hips, under the guise of stretching, and a tiny groan escapes Klaus, "you probably need to take care of that before you leave the room."

He shakes his head at her, a mischievous look crossing his face, and he sits up. He gets his knees under him, an arm wrapping around her waist, forcing her to clutch at his shoulders for balance. Klaus holds her closer and then tumbles her onto her back, looming over her, "Has anyone ever told you that you're a little evil, Caroline Forbes?"

"I get that a lot, actually," it comes out proudly, because she intends to use every tool in her arsenal against Klaus, and she suspects she'll have all sorts of fun.

"Fair warning, love. Anything you can do, I can do better."

Caroline arches a brow at that, "Oh, really?"

Klaus nods, slow and sure, "I don't back down from challenges easily either."

Caroline's about to make a quip about how blue balls aren't a thing for women (possible kind of a bluff, but maybe he won't know that?) when Klaus leans down, so slowly, she can't help but hold her breath. He brushes his lips over hers, fleetingly, before going lower, finding a spot on her neck that rips a gasp from her when his tongue brushes it, has her hips arching into his when he uses his teeth.

And then he's off of her, and her eyes blink open in confusion. Klaus is standing next to the bed, his eyes raking over her, looking pleased with himself. "We'll call that one a draw, yes?"

Caroline kind of wants to scream into a pillow, but she won't add to his satisfaction. She props herself up on her elbows, sends him the dirtiest look she can muster. Klaus merely laughs, and turns in the direction of the bathroom.

Slumping back, Caroline mutters, "I knew I should have brought my vibrator."

"I heard that," Klaus calls, not turning around.

"You were supposed to!" Caroline tells him, just before the bathroom door shuts, but not before she hears him laugh.

God, what had she even just agreed to? No sex, just good old fashioned getting to know each other? With a sprinkle of trying to drive each other insane, just for fun? She was either a genius or an idiot.

* * *

He's dressed when Caroline returns to the room with coffee and breakfast (having left it in a pair of shorts and one of his shirts – he'd nearly swallowed his tongue when she'd walked through the door, and the little smirk she'd shot him meant she'd noticed) and just firing up his laptop.

"Coffee, black one sugar. You're not the only one who pays attention."

She's left the buttons undone, and when she leans over to hand him his coffee, Klaus can see the top swell of her breast. There's faint line between the pale skin that has been protected from the sun, and the slight tan she's picked up. Klaus has a brief flash of a fantasy, of tracing that line with his tongue, and is thankful his laptop obscures his crotch. He expects Caroline to say something else, something flirtatious or suggestive, but she doesn't. Just promises to be quick and disappears into the bathroom.

He fixes his eyes on the screen, just in case she takes a page from his book, and loses the shirt before the door is safely shut. Klaus opens iTunes, and puts in headphones, so he won't be tempted to strain to hear what she's doing in the bathroom. Just to be safe. It's not cowardly, he tells himself. Merely an intelligent, strategic decision. Because he's the one who'd made the 'no sex' pronouncement. And he'll be damned if he throws it away in under an hour.

He forces his mind away from Caroline, and what she may or may not be doing, while separated from him by only a wall and a door. Luckily, his email offers several distractions. Klaus has received an alarming number of messages from Rebekah, since he'd last checked, and a few from Stefan. He clicks through them, not really reading them, because he knows Rebekah well enough not to need to. His sister has never dealt well with boredom, and Klaus suspects that meddling in his affairs is currently her primary source of amusement. The emails inquire about the trip, about Caroline, growing increasingly peevish as time goes on, and Rebekah gets nothing in reply.

Stefan's are more polite, but there's something long suffering in them. It's apparent that he does not care about things the way Rebekah does, but is merely asking in the hopes that some information will make Rebekah easier to deal with.

Klaus composes a short email, inquiring about how Rebekah was handling her injury (he'd put money on 'not well') and detailing the trip, but keeping silent on any personal developments. It had been Caroline's wish, after all, and he doesn't wish to encourage Rebekah's nosiness. He'll most definitely hear about it, but at least Rebekah won't be able to berate him in person for more than a week. Perhaps she'll be happy to see him, and forget her ire? Klaus doubts it. He attaches a few pictures from the kayaking trip before he sends the email.

He replies to another from Elijah, and then to one from his assistant, asking for clarification to some of the instructions Klaus had left.

He's engrossed in another message, from Henrik, when his earbuds are pulled out of his ears. "You ready?" Klaus jumps a little, at finding Caroline right in front of him, head cocked inquisitively, bag slung over her shoulder. She smiles, "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright. Do you mind if I finish this email first?"

Caroline shrugs, settles herself next to him on the bed cross-legged, the cotton dress she's wearing riding high on her thigh, "Nope. We've got a little time. Work emergency?"

"No," Klaus manages to peel his eyes away from her, and continues typing, as he answers, "Henrik. It's his last year of school, and he's worried about the exams."

"And he's your favorite."

She says it like it's a known fact, and Klaus is surprised, "Why do you say that?"

Caroline has put one of the earbuds into her ear, and nods approvingly at his choice before replying, "Just a guess? Maybe I'm wrong. He stuck pretty close to you at the wedding. And Rebekah says he spends more time at your place than your parent's house."

"You're not wrong. Just don't tell Bekah."

Caroline lets out a soft laugh, "I promise. He seemed like a sweet kid. It freaked me out how much he looked like Kol, and then how quiet and polite he was."

"Mmm. Those definitely aren't qualities Kol possesses. But yes, Henrik is fantastic, and we're all very proud of him."

Caroline is quiet for a moment, sneaking glances at him, "Can I ask why he spends so much time with you? Instead of your parents?"

It's not a subject Klaus is entirely comfortable with – maintaining appearances, never speaking ill of the family – are things that were drilled into him and his siblings, from a young age. But he trusts Caroline, knows that she's a decent person, and that if he expects her to open up, and trust him in return, he has to share things too, even the ones that make him uneasy.

"You can. It's difficult to explain. My parents have their own lives. They work, they travel. Henrik wasn't planned. He's nine years younger than Bekah, and Bekah, Kol, and I were so close in age. They were a bit sick of raising children, when Henrik appeared, I think."

"And you do your best not to make him feel unwanted."

Klaus nods, relieved by her easy acceptance, how she'd not pushed for more, "Something like that."

"That's nice. I used to wish I had siblings. It's a little lonely, being an only child. Although, according to Rebekah, brothers are more of a curse than a blessing."

Klaus can't help the disbelieving noise he makes, though he makes a note to ask her about her parents later, "Well, she wouldn't know if sisters are any better, would she? And if anyone's a curse, it's Rebekah."

Caroline elbows him playfully, before putting in the second earbud, "Finish your email. If we're late, I  _will_  tell her you said that."


	8. Day Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus and Caroline continue to get to know one another.

**DAY EIGHT: PHILIPSBURG, ST. MAARTEN**

Caroline wakes slowly, as she often has, these last few days. She smiles sleepily and lets her eyes drift shut again, content to bask in the warmth and comfort that surrounds her.

It's a welcome change, from her everyday life. She loves her job, loves the challenge that comes with a big project. But she's not much of a morning person, usually wakes with a groan and stumbles, cursing the cold floor, with all the grace of a drunken zombie, to her kitchen and a coffee fix.

It's nice, this lack of strict obligations, the ability to get out of bed at her leisure.

Waking up with Klaus, behind her again this morning, his arm draped over her side, her feet tucked cozily in between his calves, isn't so bad either.

She's still surprised, every morning, by how well they seem to fit together.

Caroline eases the covers up, intending to leave the bed, but Klaus' arm on her tightens, his hand sliding across her stomach and halting her movements. Craning her neck to glance over her shoulder, Caroline wrinkles her nose, "How are you always up before me? Please don't tell me you're one of those 'early bird gets the worm' weirdos?"

He takes his time answering, his free hand moving her hair off of her neck. When he speaks, she can feel his lips moving against her skin and she tenses, at the pleasurable sensation, "I don't know if I'm quite that cheerful about it, but I don't mind mornings. It was the best time for privacy, back when we all lived at home."

"Probably meant you didn't have to fight Rebekah for the bathroom to make yourself pretty, right?"

His fingers dig into her side, but he's out of luck, because that is  _not_  where she's ticklish, "Are you saying I'm unattractive, love?" Klaus scrapes his stubble along her bare nape of her neck, and Caroline does shudders.

She's pretty sure he's smiling, can feel the shape of it, and that just won't stand. She can't let him think he's winning, can she?

She rolls over, further entangling their legs, "Fishing for compliments, Klaus? That's tacky."

"I've been called worse."

"Yeah, by me." Caroline winces, once the words are out, "I should probably…"

"You don't need to say you're sorry. Fresh start, remember? Besides, I do appreciate a good insult."

"That does not surprise me at all." Caroline moves her leg, slotting her thigh between his, noting the way he shifts back minutely, to avoid pressing his hips against hers. "So, why so snuggly, this morning? You practically did the whole one foot on the floor thing last night."

The look he shoots her is incredulous, his tone ultra-dry, "Yes, such a mystery as to why I'd be hesitant to climb into bed with a woman, that I'm trying very hard not to have sex with, once she told me she wasn't wearing knickers."

Caroline presses her lips together, fighting a snicker, "Do you want me to tell you that I was messing with you?"

"Were you?"

"Nope. But, FYI, it's not exactly a new thing," she drops her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "I wore panties the second night but that's it."

"Caroline," Klaus groans, rolling onto his back.

"What?" she asks, in her very best approximation of a bewildered innocence, "it's bad for your lady parts."

Klaus just glares at her, still looking mildly pained. Caroline lets out the laugh she's been holding in. A quick peek down tells her that he's more than a little affected by her words.

Point: Caroline.

"And," Caroline continues, dancing light fingers across his body, "I'm pretty sure that you deciding to forego a shirt was strategic, so don't play the innocent, wounded party here."

He sucks in a breath, when her hand brushes lower, just before the edge of the sheet. She pulls her hand away, resisting the temptation to tunnel under it and touch more of him. Klaus looks momentarily disappointed, before he seems to remember himself.

She takes the opportunity to crawl over him, despite it being completely unnecessary, laughs again when his eyes slam shut.

She pats his stomach when she's up, in mock comfort, not making it a caress this time, "You really shouldn't have made this a competition."

"If I recall correctly, sweetheart," Klaus counters, as he snags her wrist, before she can move away from the bed, "and I'm sure that I do,  _you_  were the one who started this."

"I  _might_  have issued a challenge, but you accepted. Making it a competition. You didn't have to," Caroline slides her eyes down his body, stilling pointedly on the still tented sheets, "…rise to the occasion."

Klaus' eyes narrow, and he sits up, "I don't lose, Caroline."

Caroline grins, shaking her head in faux pity, "Oh, Klaus. Neither do I."

* * *

Klaus grabs his laptop, while he waits for Caroline to be finished in the bathroom, because he finds he can't quite remember what the plan is for today. They'd talked quite a bit yesterday, and while he'd learned away all sorts of tidbits about Caroline's likes and dislikes (to be used at a later date, Klaus was determined), he can't recall any mention of today's schedule. They'd had a free day, the day before yesterday, and he doubts Caroline would allow for two to be scheduled so close together.

And a distraction, any distraction, would be more than welcome right now. Because she'd left the door open a crack. Enough to seem like an invitation, but also enough to seem like an accident. It was proving very difficult for Klaus to keep his eyes off of it, off of the little tendrils of steam billowing out.

At least he'd not heard any sounds that made him think she was doing something more than showering.

Small mercies.

Opening up his email, Klaus clicks on the folder where he'd filed all the messages about the trip, opening the one that's marked 'FINAL FINAL CRUISE ITINERARY (I mean it, Rebekah!)'

Scanning it, his curiosity is not satisfied. He has some memory of Rebekah talking about the private, romantic boat tour she and Stefan had booked, and how he was emphatically  _not_  invited (why she'd thought he'd want to be a third wheel, when they were at their most soppy and besotted, Klaus has no idea).

He recalls talking with Stefan about the casino that's in the plan for tonight, joking that he'd better bring cash, because Klaus did not accept I.O.U's.

But there's not a hint of a plan marked for either him or Caroline, during the day, and Klaus can't help but find that odd. And very unlike her.

Setting his laptop aside, ignoring a number of emails from Rebekah, and one from his mother, Klaus lets himself fall back onto the bed. He probably should get up but, he rationalizes, since he has no idea what he'll be doing, or where he'll be going, it's sort of pointless to attempt to get dressed, isn't it?

He's drifted into a light doze, but is pulled out of it when the bathroom door swings open, and Caroline pads over to her luggage. She crouches down and Klaus admires the smooth plane of her back, left bare by the gauzy orange dress she's wearing.

She turns, a necklace in hand, looking startled when she spots his eyes on her, "Oh! Sorry, I thought you were asleep."

"Mmm, no. Just resting," Klaus studies her, notes the shiny curls and the lightly done makeup, "You look beautiful, Caroline."

She glances down, a pleased expression flitting across her face which she quickly hides, "Thank you. Shower's free."

Klaus rolls out of bed, and Caroline turns away, leaning in to look at the mirror on the wall, reaching up to clip the necklace on, "What're we doing today, love?" he asks.

She stills, avoiding his gaze, fumbling with the clasp, "I don't know what you're doing. I'm just going to walk around town for a bit, maybe shop a little. You don't have to come. Would probably be super bored."

She seems restless. Almost shifty. Not quite nervous, but like she's hiding something. Which only boosts Klaus' intrigue, makes him want to dig further.

"Nonsense," he replies, purposefully casual, coming up behind her. Gently, he takes the necklace from her. "Lift up your hair." Klaus runs his knuckle down the line of her neck, confirming his suspicion that she's particularly sensitive there (yet another thing he files away) when she sways back against him. He puts a few inches of distance between them, very aware that he's still half-hard, and not wearing much, "I've yet to be bored at all in your presence, even when we were sitting nearly silently, side by side. I'd be happy to accompany you, shopping, or whatever you've planned, if you'll have me."

Caroline meets his eyes, hers slightly narrowed, "Okay, fine. In the interest of getting to know one another better, I suppose you can come with me. But no laughing at me, alright?"

"I would never," Klaus tells her, though the hint of amusement he can't hide at her utter seriousness probably ruins the promise.

She snorts, "Yeah, you would. And I would totally deserve if for finding it hilarious when I pushed you out of bed. But there's a  _Star Wars_  museum here. And I might have planned to go."

"Caroline Forbes, nerd?" Klaus asks skeptically, eyebrows raised. "That's your deep dark secret?"

She elbows him, probably for the nerd comment, rolling her eyes, "It's not a secret, per se. People just don't seem to expect it from me. Apparently, to some people, my being blonde and conventionally attractive means I'm not fit to enjoy sci-fi. And I'm always down to kick ass in a trivia-off, but it gets a little tiring putting douchebags in their place. Though I do like crushing their condescending little souls. Just a smidge."

"I resent being lumped in with such cretins, love. And I haven't the faintest knowledge of the films so I won't be attempting to test you."

Caroline gasps, spinning to face him. She reaches out, putting her hands on his shoulders and shaking him slightly, "Klaus. Klaus. Please tell me you did not just admit to never having seen  _Star Wars_?"

She looks about as horrified as he'd imagine a person would if Klaus had confessed to kicking puppies on a regular basis for fun. "I've think I've seen one of them?" he says slowly, "the most recent one."

She shakes her head, turning away from him again. "Doesn't really count," she informs him, sounding dismissive. "The prequels are  _not_  in the same league as the original trilogy."

"The effects are kind of bad though, are they not? I imagine it would be distracting."

Her mouth drops open, her face in the mirror again appearing appalled, "They were revolutionary for their time! I am seriously reconsidering if I even want to have sex with you right now."

It's Klaus' turn to roll his eyes. He slides his hands down, holds onto her hips, and drops his head, presses his mouth to her neck. A scrape of his teeth just below the string that holds her dress up, and she makes a pleased little hum, low in her throat. A few kisses dropped down her spine, have her clutching his hands, her head dropped forward to give him more room.

He pulls back, waits for her to straighten, for her hazy eyes to meet his once more. He smirks, "You were saying, love?"

"Alright, fine," Caroline pulls away from him, walking over to pick up her shoes, her movements jerky with her exasperation, "I still totally want to have sex with you, geez. Chalk it up to your hot body being slightly more important than your appalling lack of taste in movies."

"I feel as if I could argue that point."

"Don't bother," Caroline shoots back.

"Is there any special reason why you're so fond of them?" Klaus wonders. Because Caroline's passionate about several things, and he's interested to see if there are deeper reasons behind them, fascinated by what makes her tick.

She hesitates, "My dad loved them too, actually."

"Oh?" Klaus prods.

She smiles slightly, "The first time I went to stay with him, after my parent's divorce, I was angry and determined to be difficult. I did my best attempt at the silent treatment, which I'm sure you can imagine is hard for me."

Klaus laughs, "I  _can_  imagine."

"The first night he popped the first movie in. And I was hooked in like fifteen minutes. Peppered him with questions until we watched the other two. In hindsight, he might have preferred me silent."

"I doubt that, love."

"Every summer after that I'd spend a couple weeks with him, and on our last weekend together we'd watch all three. I still do it, every August."

She looks almost wistful, looking past Klaus. Caroline had talked a lot about her mother yesterday, but had only mentioned her father in passing. Klaus hadn't pressed, not exactly a stranger to rocky paternal relationships, but he detects no bitterness in her, so he asks, "Are you two still close, then?"

Her expression drops, before smoothing over, "He died four years ago."

Klaus feels like an idiot, and his face must show that clearly, because Caroline waves a hand, touches his arm fleetingly, looking at him reassuringly, "No, it's fine. You didn't know. He was sick for a while so he was able to put things in order, end things as well as he could. I miss him, but it's not some dark, crippling pain. I promise."

"Still. I'm sorry."

"Seriously, it's okay. And, to answer your question. We were pretty close, considering he lived in a different state. My dad was great. We were a lot alike." Caroline nudges him playfully, "My psychotic perfectionism and drive, aka the reason you're doomed, come from him."

Klaus shakes his head, grateful she's lightening the mood, "Well, I understand if you want to go by yourself, Caroline. We can meet up later, before dinner?" he offers.

Caroline bites her lip, looking back at him, almost shyly. "No. If you want to come you can. I'd like you too."

It's difficult, to keep from grinning. It's an opening, a sign that she's thinking about more than just a vacation fling, and Klaus is thrilled at the gesture. But making a mountain of it might spook her, so he merely nods, and keeps his response casual, "Sounds fantastic. I'll just shower quickly. Meet you on deck?"

Caroline's eyes widen, surprised and pleased. Her eyes stall, on his chest and abdomen, and then she looks away quickly, as if she'd just noticed that he's only half dressed. She turns away from him, gathers her bag and a hat, adopting a cheerful tone, "Okay, great! See you in a few," before she offers him a wave and bustles out of the room.

With her gone, Klaus allows himself the triumphant smile he'd been holding in. He was certain he wasn't the only one, heading towards certain doom, as Caroline had termed it. And he's looking forward to it immensely.

* * *

Caroline ran her hands through her hair, one last time, before turning to the side, examining herself critically in the mirror. She'd been in the bathroom for a really long time, she knows. So long that she's surprised she's not heard a peep out of Klaus.

She was nervous. Full on butterflies in her stomach, first date that you really want to go well, nervous.

Which was beyond silly. She'd known Klaus for years now. Had been sleeping in the same bed with him for a week. Had been sneak first dated already, with the sunset and horses set up. Had instigated a second date-like activity, of her own volition.

But this felt different.

Klaus had been great, this afternoon. Interested in a random obsession of hers, despite the fact that he was unfamiliar with it. Her love of  _Star Wars_  is something she shares selectively (after the incident in college, when she'd mentioned it and the guy had immediately attempted to convince her to wear the Slave Leia costume for him). Most guys are vaguely mystified by it, but Klaus hadn't acted like he thought it was weird. He'd asked questions and had even purchased a box set. It's different, from what Caroline's used to. She'd never really dated a guy who would have bothered to spend several hours watching something, just because she loved it.

Which really sucked, now that Caroline thought about it.

When anxious, Caroline copes by letting her control freak side take over, by micromanaging something she can control. And her hair, makeup and outfit had been today's outlet.

She knows Klaus is attracted to her, he's free with the compliments, and the admiring gazes. But this is her first time dressing up, on this trip, and she wants to blow his mind, at least a little.

Taking a deep breath, satisfied with what she sees, Caroline turns and throws open the bathroom door. Klaus is in the sitting area, reading a book, feet up on the coffee table.

He glances over at her, begins to speak, "You're…" but the words falter, and his eyes widen, his mouth remaining slightly agape.

Caroline smirks, silently congratulating herself on a job well done. She props a hand on her hip, tipping her head towards the door, "I'm ready to go? Yup. Sorry about the wait."

"Worth it," Klaus answers immediately, standing slowly. "Completely."

She feels her ears heat, at the honest appreciation in his tone, and the way he's moving towards her. Like he doesn't mean to, but he's drawn to her. Caroline looks him over. He's wearing dark jeans and a white button up, sleeves rolled up, topped with a gray vest. "You look nice too."

Klaus doesn't reply, as he closes in, stopping once they're toe to toe. Her eyes drop to his lips, without her permission, watching as they curl into a smirk. He touches her shoulder, skims his fingertips down her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake, before he tangles their fingers together, "Shall we, then?"

Caroline nods, swallowing hard, letting him tug her towards the door. He lets go of her hand, to rest a palm on her back, and she can't quite decide which she enjoys more, "Do you like gambling, Caroline?"

"Honestly? Not really." She's been to Vegas twice, and has always enjoyed the shows and the clubs more than the casinos. Knowing that the odds are not in her favor, that she's likely to lose no matter how hard she tries, is kind of a fun dampener, in Caroline's opinion.

"Then why'd you put it on the itinerary?" Klaus asks curiously, as they wind through the ships hallways.

"Stefan likes it. Rebekah said you do too," Caroline replies with a shrug.

"I do," Klaus confirms. "But it's early. So how about we do a couple of hours at the casino. I'll teach you how to play poker, see if I can change your mind. And then we can head to one of the dance clubs, alright?"

He gestures for her to precede him up the stairs, and Caroline throws a knowing look over her shoulder. "I like to dance."

"I remember," Klaus tells her. "And I'm quite interested in dancing with you without several hundred friends and relatives nearby."

Silently, Caroline agrees. She'd been tipsy enough at the wedding reception to press a little closer than was strictly polite, but for the most part they'd kept things proper on the dance floor. That won't be necessary, now.

She sways her hips, more than is necessary, when she takes the first few steps, sure that he's probably seeing quite a bit of her thighs, given the length of her dress. She thinks she hears him groan, quietly. Towards the top Klaus speeds up, and she can feel him, close behind her. She almost stumbles, at the touch of his hand, low on her hip, but he steadies her, pulling her into his body.

He kisses her shoulder, drags his mouth across her skin in a way that has her eyes drifting shut, and then his soft voice is in her ear, his lips just brushing the lobe, "I'm going to go easy on the alcohol tonight, I think. Just in case."

Did that mean what she thought it might? Caroline turns to face him, arching an eyebrow, "Are you saying giraffe, Klaus? Because you totally should have done it before I spent ninety minutes getting ready."

Klaus shakes his head, amused. "No. I'm not saying it'll happen tonight. Just leaving the door open for possibilities. When we're intimate again, Caroline, it will be completely sober. I want to remember everything. There will be no regrets."

There's an intensity to him that has Caroline seriously considering pushing him up against the wall. His eyes are dark and serious, and he's taken her hand again, his thumb tracing circles on her palm. But there's something she really should clear up, "I don't, you know. Regret what happened. Could never bring myself to, even when I thought I should."

Klaus looks surprised, and maybe a little pleased, at her confession.

She takes a step back, towing him with her, dropping her voice teasingly, "Don't look shocked. The things you did with your tongue? Insanely good. Set a really high bar, if I'm honest."

"Did it?" Klaus murmurs. He leans into her, wrapping an arm around her waist, "Well, I'll see what I can do about topping myself, love."


	9. Day Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a rough morning for Caroline, but things get progressively better.

**DAY NINE: ST. JOHN'S**

Klaus has been awake for close to an hour, Caroline's restless shifting having roused him, and prevented him from falling back asleep. He's not sure if it's uneasy dreams, or the alcohol working its way out of her system, but she's been moving nearly constantly, without seeming to wake up. She stirs again, and moans pitifully, her hands clenching around his t-shirt. Her forehead digs into his shoulder, and her thigh shifts over his. Klaus bites back a moan, as her leg brushes perilously close to his crotch.

He's fully clothed, but she's wearing the dress from last night. He imagines it's shifted, during the night, and he can feel her legs, warm and smooth, through the thin fabric of his sweatpants.

It's probably wrong of him, to let his thoughts wander down less than pure avenues, right now. He's trying not to, even if it's mostly unsuccessful.

Caroline says something, but Klaus doesn't catch the whole sentence, if it even had been a complete thought. Something about Satan's juice boxes and her hair hurting.

Klaus tries not to laugh. As no stranger to hangovers, he  _is_  somewhat sympathetic.

He'd not been entirely sure how it had happened, but Caroline had definitely over imbibed last night. Thinking back, he'd realized that she'd eaten very lightly at dinner, so the few cocktails must have gone right to her head. She'd been nervous, Klaus remembers, had pushed her plate away when it was still half full before excusing herself to go get ready.

He'd noted it absently, took it as something of a good sign. Nerves meant she'd cared. He'd been filled with anticipation himself, sure that things between him and Caroline were on a good track, the one he wanted to be on. Her jitters meant that she was right there with him.

After the tension filled moment on the stairs there'd been a new awareness between them. She'd touched him more, lingeringly, even if it hadn't been anything blatant or lewd. Caroline had done well at the casino, had picked up blackjack quickly, and had excellent luck when she'd tried her hand at roulette. She'd tripled the hundred dollars she'd set out to bet with and had been giddy at her success.

Klaus had barely broken even, more distracted by her next to him, the subtle scent she wore on her skin, then he'd ever admit.

Neither of them had noticed that she'd become a little tipsy, by the time they'd gotten to the club.

Caroline had been giggly and flirty and hands on in ways that had definitely tested Klaus' control. They'd danced for hours, trading heated looks, bodies moving together. Leaning close, lips occasionally lingering over skin, to hear the other speak over the thumping music, when conversation was necessary.

She'd kissed him, pulled his head down to hers and stroked her tongue over his with a clear need that shook him, her hips still moving against his to the beat until he'd moaned into her mouth, and tried to pull her closer. Caroline had opened her eyes, lids heavy with want, and suggested they go back to the boat.

She'd stumbled, on her tall heels, once they were outside. And her words were noticeably slurred when no longer drowned out.

Klaus' heart had momentarily sunk, grand plans of spreading her out on the huge bed they'd been sharing, as he'd fantasized about, evaporating.

But, Klaus realized that it was just one night. They'd have others.

He'd steeled himself, on the walk, trying to figure out the best way to turn down her advances (not exactly easy, with the way she'd been looking at him, and how incredible she looked flushed and happy in her tiny dress) without making her feel rejected.

But his planning had proved thankfully unnecessary. Caroline crashed quickly, once they'd gotten back to the ship, leaning heavily on Klaus for support and passing out almost as soon as she'd hit the room.

He'd taken off her shoes and covered her up. Showered, before joining her in bed. She'd rolled into him immediately, hitching her leg over his hip and nuzzling into his skin with a sigh.

Klaus had regretted that the shower hadn't been a cold one.

Caroline makes another low sound, decidedly put out and uncomfortable. He runs his hand down her back soothingly, and after a few passes her head tips up and her eyes crack open. "Ugh," she mumbles. "My head hurts. Kill me."

Klaus smiles, shakes his head, makes no effort to hide his fondness when he answers, "I'm afraid I can't do that, love."

Caroline grumbles and slides away from him, diving under a pillow. She says something else, but it's too muffled for Klaus to make out. He prys up the corner, "What was that?"

"I said, what was even in those drinks? I only had three."

"Four," Klaus corrects. "And while I suspect they were a bit more potent than what you're accustomed to I believe the real culprit was the rum soaked pineapple."

She turns to look at him, eyes tired and bloodshot, "It was so good though. I should have known it was pure evil." Caroline pauses, her forehead creasing, "Please tell me I didn't do anything humiliating."

"Define humiliating?" Klaus replies, trying to sound innocent.

Her eyes narrow, into a glare with little heat, "Don't be cute, Klaus. I have a killer headache and I feel disgusting. In fact, could you maybe stop looking at me? I must look like death, if death had the makeup application skills of a toddler."

Klaus does laugh at that, and Caroline rolls her eyes, but her lips quirk up. "What's the last thing you remember?" he asks.

A faint pink colors her cheeks, "Dancing."

"Ah yes," Klaus says, unable to help his smirk, "that  _was_  fun. You said the most delightful things to me, Caroline."

"Oh, god," Caroline groans, letting her head drop, "do I even want to know?"

"Probably not," Klaus tells her. "But don't worry, love. I took careful note of your… desires."

Her ears have turned bright red, and Klaus reaches out, pushing back the wisps of hair that cover them. She bats at his hand, ineffectively, since she's still apparently trying to smother herself and refuses to look at him. "I'm only teasing you, Caroline," he coaxes. "I am familiar with you, when intoxicated, remember? You've nothing to be embarrassed about."

She shifts, one blue eye peeking over at him distrustfully, "I vaguely remember groping you in public, Klaus. How is that  _not_  embarrassing?"

"It was a nightclub full of drunk tourists, sweetheart. I'm positive that you groping me was about the tamest thing that happened. Besides, it's not as if I we'll ever see any of those people again, is it?"

Caroline flips onto her side, an expression of grudging acceptance on her face, "While I recognize that you're humoring me you do have a point. And I seem to remember you didn't exactly mind said groping?"

Klaus honestly can't believe that she's asking him that. He raises his eyebrows incredulously before he reaches over and slides his hand over her waist, tugging her into him. She slides across the bed with a soft laugh, catching herself on his chest, "Okay fine, gonna take that as a no."

"A very firm, emphatic, no," Klaus tells her seriously.

Caroline nods, relaxing against him with a small yawn. "What time is it?"

Klaus reaches behind him, feels around for his phone, to check the time. "We need to be getting up soon, if we're going to make our reservation."

Caroline makes a protesting noise when Klaus shifts, her face screwing up, pressing him down into the bed, "Not sure I'm up for learning how to paddle board today."

"You're the one who rules the itinerary with an iron fist, love. If you want to change it, have a bit of a lie in, that's fine with me." Klaus subsided under her, toying with the ends of her hair.

"It's a testament to how hung over I am that I'm kind of okay with that right now. I haven't felt like this since after Rebekah's bachelorette party. Kat brought flasks of her uncle's homemade Rakia. It was intense."

"It must have been, since you three nearly got arrested, correct?"

Caroline's head lifts, and she brings a hand up to point at him suspiciously, "Please. I'm cranky not stupid, Klaus. You won't weasel that story out of me. Kat and Bekah would actually but aside their mutual loathing, team up, and murder me."

"Worth a shot." Klaus grins down at her, unrepentant, until she huffs and lays back down.

"Just be quiet," Caroline grumbles. "You're comfy and I'm still sleepy."

* * *

She hadn't managed to fall back asleep. Had just drifted, hazy and warm and lulled into contentment by Klaus' even breathing and his hands in her hair.

Kind of the best wake up she'd ever experienced while hungover.

But eventually, it clicked that the scent of him, that she'd become familiar with (and she might have investigated the products he'd left in the bathroom once or twice), probably meant that he'd showered, sometime after she'd passed out last night.

Which made her very aware that she was still in last night's dress, and that her mouth felt disgusting and her face was gritty with old makeup

Which was mildly to moderately horrifying, the longer Caroline thought about it.

She shifted, and glanced up. Klaus' eyes were closed. But his hands were still moving, so he wasn't sleeping. So her getaway wouldn't exactly be clean. Caroline rolled off of him, in one quick motion, stilling under the covers to shimmy her dress down, and make sure it covered everything that needed covering.

Klaus made an amused noise, and Caroline looked over at him expectantly, "What?"

"Nothing, love. The modesty's new. What happened to the woman who took great enjoyment from taunting me about her lack of knickers?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, "I happen to be wearing underwear, thank you. Really good underwear, that can only be properly appreciated when I'm slightly fresher, and don't smell like a dirty bar."

She tries to run a hand through her hair, cringing at the knots. It was going to take a lot of conditioner, to sort out the mess of curls. She feels Klaus sit up, and he drapes her hair over one shoulder, dropping a kiss on her neck, "It's not that bad, Caroline." His voice lowers, grows teasing, "But do tell me more about what's under your dress."

She shrugs her shoulder, nudging him away. Klaus goes with a chuckle, and the bed dips as he crawls out the other side. Caroline stands and stretches, wincing as her bones make several audible cracks. "Ugh," she groans, "that was both gross and immensely satisfying."

Klaus laughs, and she can hear him rummaging for something behind her. She glances over her shoulder, watches him switch from sleep pants to another pair. He raises an eyebrow and smirks, but doesn't comment on her shameless ogling. "Tell you what. You go shower, and I'll go forage for food."

"And coffee," Caroline adds. "Please. Lots and lots and lots of coffee. See if they have a bucket."

"Probably unhealthy," Klaus muses shaking his head, "but I'll do my best." He leaves the room with a final wave.

Caroline heads for the wardrobe, as soon as the door shuts. Bites her lip to hold in a grin when she notices how neatly Klaus had stowed the heels she'd worn last night. She grabs some clothes, before peeling off her dress, and the super cute underwear she'd optimistically worn, before heading to the shower.

Caroline's resolves to be quick about it, because she's hoping to get something she's been avoiding done before Klaus returns.

She needs to talk to Rebekah.

The emails she's been receiving from the other blonde have become increasingly testy, and Stefan's have turned pleading. She'd feel sorry for him, but he'd willingly married Rebekah, knowing full well how temperamental she could be. And he  _was_  kind of to blame for her current, injured, state. Caroline would bet a solid amount of money on Stefan never neglecting a honey do list entry again.

And she wasn't even a gambler.

And part of her felt the need to feel out Rebekah's thoughts, with regards to her and Klaus. Had it just been a vacation thing, Caroline wouldn't have bothered. But, since Klaus maintained that he wanted something more than that, and Caroline became and surer that she herself did too, with every time he made her laugh, and every thoughtful gesture. Finding out if Rebekah was going to strenuously object to them, and try to make their lives miserable, seemed like a good idea.

Despite the rocky start, and the fact that they still regularly drove each other nuts, Rebekah was her friend, and Caroline thought it was the right thing to do. She'd had a similar conversation with Stefan, before she'd agreed to go out with Damon. In hindsight, she wished she'd taken heed of Stefan's hesitance, not chalked it up to him being awkward about the topic, like she had. Probably could have saved herself a world of trouble.

She sits down on the couch with her laptop, holds her breath as the skype call connects. Maybe Rebekah won't answer? And then she can at least say she tried…

"Oh, Caroline. It seems you do have internet access, I was beginning to wonder."

Her hopes are dashed, when Rebekah's face pops up, her acrid tone clear through the speakers. Caroline forces a cheery smile, and wiggles her fingers at the camera, "Hey, Bekah! I've been super busy. Packed itinerary, you know. How are you feeling?"

She's banking on getting Rebekah to talk about herself as a distraction technique. But Rebekah is uncooperative, shooting Caroline a look both deadpan and unimpressed, "I'm feeling fine. I've adjusted, in the week since we last spoke. And I'm quite certain that you sleeping with my brother  _was not_  on the itinerary."

Caroline's mouth drops open, and she feels her face heat.

She's doing entirely too much blushing today.

"I'm not," she stutters, her mind racing. "Well, I guess  _technically_  I am. But just sleeping. Maybe a little cuddling. But it's totally not my fault. The stupid cruise line screwed up. And I can't help what I do in my sleep!"

Rebekah's lips are pressed together, her eyes bright and amused, by the time Caroline's finished her rambling explanation, "Riveting," she drawls. "Just use protection, hmm?"

"Rebekah!" Caroline exclaims, and it's a scandalized yelp.

The long suffering sigh Rebekah lets out is loud, "Caroline, come on. I'm not blind. I saw the two of you dancing you at my wedding. And I've been subjected to enough women mentally undressing my brother's to know what that looks like." She shudders exaggeratedly, her face turning pained and revolted.

Caroline gropes for a reply, but Rebekah keeps speaking, "Relax. As long as I don't hear the details I care not one whit about just how well you and Nik are getting along. Unless, of course, you manage to break his heart. In which case I'll be forced to get nasty. And make it look like an accident." There's a hard glare tacked on, and Caroline knows that Rebekah means it.

She hears the door opening so she leans in, saying hurriedly, "I'll take that under advisement, Bekah. Gotta go, glad you're feeling better, bye!" Caroline catches one last image of Rebekah looking peeved, before she snaps the laptop shut.

She's going to be hearing about that one later. But adding Klaus to the conversation seemed like a terrible idea.

Caroline sets her computer aside, and pulls her legs up, arranging her robe around. Klaus is moving slowly, two Styrofoam boxes and a cup holder filled with coffees carefully balanced. She reaches up to take the coffee, balancing it on her crossed legs, and he nods gratefully, one hand reaching back and pulling wrapped utensils out of his back pocket.

Caroline grins up at him, "Ah, you've thought of everything, haven't you?"

"A good breakfast is just the cure for a hangover, love. I experimented extensively at university."

"Me too," Caroline says, wrinkling her nose in remembrance.

He sits down next to her, hands her one of the boxes. Caroline inhales appreciatively when she opens it, and her stomach growls in anticipation. But she doesn't miss Klaus' eyes raking over her.

Keeping the robe, and just the robe, on suddenly seems like a genius plan, and not just laziness.

She smiles, and leans over to put the coffee down on the table. And if that motion pushes the v of her neckline a little wider, it's not her fault at all.

His gaze is glued to the skin she's exposed, but Caroline ignores it. She'd got her leering in that morning, and fair was fair. She eagerly unwraps a fork and digs in. She chews, and once she's swallowed the first bite of perfectly fluffy, cheesy omelette, she tells him, "I talked to Rebekah."

Klaus seems to shake himself, focusing on his own meal, prompting, "Oh? Anything interesting?"

"Grouchiness and murder threats. You know, the usual."

"I am familiar with the threats, yes. Whatever did you do, to warrant them?" Klaus asks curiously.

"Nothing, yet. But I sort of wanted to check if she was okay with," Caroline uses her fork, and gestures between the two of them.

Klaus lets out a quick, rueful laugh. "She definitely is. I guarantee it."

He sounded so sure. Did that mean he'd already spoken to Rebekah? Was it wrong that Caroline really wished she could know what had been said? "Rebekah told you that?" Caroline asks, looking for clarification.

"Not in so many words." Klaus looks unsure for a second, "I'm going to tell you something, Caroline. But it can never, ever leave this room. My life likely depends on it. Can I trust you?"

Well, that was ominous.

But no way was Caroline able to resist something  _that_  potentially juicy. "You can. Hit me."

"It wasn't a mix up with the cruise company, which led to us sharing a room. Rebekah did it on purpose."

"She did not!" Caroline denies immediately. But Klaus' face remains perfectly serious. "Did she? Why?"

"A ham fisted attempt at matchmaking, from what I've gathered. I'm not entirely certain she wasn't under the influence of various pain medications, either," Klaus confesses, watching her carefully.

"She… you… I…" Caroline trailed off, frustrated. She was so blaming her lingering headache for her inability of express her thoughts at all articulately this morning.

"Rebekah knows me, better than just about anyone, Caroline," Klaus tells her gently, seeming slightly embarrassed. "She picked up on my… interest in you. And decided to meddle, as she often does."

Caroline focuses on her food, as she rolls this new information around. She should be angry, and a tiny part of her is. She isn't a fan of being manipulated. But, she knows herself, knows that she'd have avoided Klaus like the plague, had they not been forced to share the same space. She would never have learned the truth, behind what had happened two years ago. And she probably wouldn't have had nearly as much fun, going on excursions and exploring the islands, on her own.

So maybe she could forgive Rebekah, just this once.

There'd be hell to bay, if Caroline got even a hint of such machinations in the future, however.

Klaus is still watching her cautiously, his fork poised over his food, like he's braced for her to freak out. Caroline offers him a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, Klaus. I won't let Rebekah know that I know. Or that you told me."

He smiles back, relaxing and digging back into his eggs, "Thank you, sweetheart. I'd hate to have to weather that storm. Now, since we've missed our reservation, what do you feel like doing today?"

Caroline shrugs, "I have no idea. Why don't we just leave the boat, pick a direction, and start walking?"

Klaus' eyes widen, even though he seems to try to hide his apprehension, "That… doesn't seem like something you'd enjoy."

"But it's your thing, right? And you've yet to steer me wrong. And I trust you, Klaus." She says it lightly, looking down at her food, letting her hair shield her face, kind of afraid of his reaction.

The flirting? Easy. Trying to drive each other crazy, with sexual frustration? Really, really fun. Poking at the feelings, potentially big and deep, with the possibility of pain, that underlie it all? Completely terrifying, for a girl who's not had much luck in that department.

Klaus voice, when he speaks, is warm and reassuring, "I'm glad to hear it. I'll do my best to earn it."

* * *

Later, when they return to the ship, Klaus is mentally congratulating himself. He knows Caroline has enjoyed herself today, she'd laughed often and freely, despite the fact that they'd spent the hours alone, for the most part.

"Right or left?" he'd asked her, as soon as they'd cleared the dock. He knew her well enough by now, to understand that a little control soothed her. Caroline had chewed her lip, and given the question serious consideration. She'd picked left, and they'd found some hiking trails, taken them at a leisurely pace, in deference to the fact that neither of them had dressed for serious exertion.

She's started asking him questions, about the places he's been, his favorites and where he wanted to go next. She'd lit up, her interest evident, and Klaus would be shocked if there wasn't another trip in Caroline's near future. There was some wanderlust in her, and it looked like it was finally coming out.

And, in the back of his mind, Klaus had a destination or two in mind, if he was totally honest. He thought she'd like London, for starters, and it was simple enough to explore Europe a little farther, should she come to visit him.

Those plans were perhaps a bit premature, but Klaus did like to have them in place, for eventualities that might spring up.

Caroline's shooting him contemplative looks, as they walk through the halls, back to their room. Klaus has a very good idea, of how things are going to play out, once they're behind closed doors, and his heart's picked up a touch, with the anticipation that's thrumming through him.

He swipes the keycard, to let them in, ushering her through with a hand on the small of her back. She whirls, as soon as the door shuts, stepping into him, so his back's pressed against it. Her hands reach out, grasping Klaus' face and pulling him into her, her mouth hot and wild against his.

Her tongue sweeps in, and she lets out a contented hum. Klaus wraps an arm around her hips, pressing them more tightly together, as his other hand buries itself in her hair.

He loses track of time, as they stand there, exchanging frantic kisses, breathing in gasps. Caroline's hand start to wander first, down his chest and under his t-shirt, the faint scratch of her nails on his lower abdomen forcing a shudder from him.

Caroline pulls away, her eyes drifting open to look at him, as she does it again, dragging lower, and dipping just under the waist of his pants.

Klaus nudges her away slightly, and her face falls. But only until he lifts his shirt, letting it drop to the floor. She bites her lip, and looks down, her eyes turning hungry and heated. She takes her time, in looking back up. And then she grins, and whips off her own tank, revealing the red bikini she has on underneath.

Klaus pushes off the door, but Caroline shifts back a step, a teasing grin flitting across her kiss swollen lips. She slips the thin straps from her shoulders, and undoes to clasp, baring herself to him, with a challenging look.

He grasps her waist, sliding his hands up her sides, delighting in the ways her eyes fall to half-mast when he cups her breasts. "I've always regretted that we didn't get to this part," he mutters roughly, watching her nipples tighten under his thumbs.

Her head falls back and she lets out a moan, "That's right. You didn't even get me out of my dress, last time."

"It was complicated," Klaus defends absently, focused on touching her, remembering the myriad of straps around the neckline of her bridesmaid's dress. He bends, kisses her collarbone, before dragging his mouth lower, and sucking her nipple into his mouth.

Her hands fly up, tangling in his hair. And her breaths grow ragged, as he switches sides, bringing his fingers up to roll the peak he'd just left. They've wandered across the room, in stumbling steps, and Klaus is just about to lower her to the bed, when Caroline stops, and pulls away. Her hands are firm, keeping him at bay and she pivots, before giving him a none too gentle shove, until he sits on the bed.

Klaus clutches her hips, intending to pull her over his lap, but she remains standing. Caroline pouts exaggeratedly, a distinctly mischievous look to her, "You're messing up my plans, Klaus."

And then she drops to her knees.

Klaus feels his mouth moving, but words are beyond him, as Caroline urges him to open his legs wider, so she can fit between them, and begins working her way down the skin of her torso with her lips and tongue and teeth, leaving his muscles tense and quivering in her wake.

"Caroline…" he grits out, leaning back to give her more room.

She grins up at him impishly, and Klaus' hands tear at the sheets when she cups him through his pants, before working open his zipper. "I figure I owe you one," she says, her voice thicker than normal. "And I want to."

Klaus swallows harshly, and he lifts his hips, when she pulls, her slender fingers hooking around his boxer briefs and taking them down with his pants. Because who is he, to deny her what she wants, when he wants it too, more than anything he can remember, right now?

She pauses, tosses him a smirk, shaking her hair back from her face. "Wait, did you say the go word? I can't remember…"

"Giraffe," Klaus mutters immediately, hoarse and maybe a little desperate.

But he can't find it in himself to care, when she wraps a hand around him, soft and teasing and perfect, as soon as the word's left his mouth.


	10. Day Ten

**DAY TEN: BASSATERRE, ST. KITTS**

The first thing Caroline notes, when her eyes drift open, is that she's actually on her side of the bed, for once. The second thing that's immediately apparent is that Klaus has migrated over, his body warm against her side, his lax arm a heavy weight on her back.

She takes it as a victory, belated as it is.

Listening to Klaus' even breaths Caroline stretches her arms over her head, lets out a little moan, when her sore muscles protest the movement. It maybe wasn't the best idea, to go several rounds last night, when they were supposed to be making a 3500 ft climb up a volcano today.

Her poor thighs.

Caroline doesn't feel one iota of regret though. Not when being with Klaus had been so freaking good. Rough and needy, slow and lazy, sweet and tender. They hadn't been able to get enough of one another, had reached for one another, over and over again, between short catnaps and whispered conversations.

She's in so deep. And it's both scary and exhilarating, when she thinks about what that means.

Caroline smiles into her pillow for a moment, before she flips over onto her side, to face Klaus. He shifts closer, his big hand settling over her hip, eyes moving behind closed lids. They stay shut, however, and his face smooths, as he sleeps on. She takes a moment to study him, the long lashes and full lips, the heavy stubble along his jaw. It's probably a little creepy, but she's ninety percent certain he'd done at least a little of his own observing, all those times that he'd woken up before her.

That's her story, and she's going to stick to it.

He's still naked, the blankets pushed to his waist, and she can't help but admire the view, the lean muscles and angles of him. She'd gotten up to go to the bathroom, had ended up throwing on a tank and a pair of shorts (because after an incident with a fire alarm at her first apartment, she's a little paranoid at being caught off guard and less then fully dressed) but she's not complaining about his current state, as she lets her eyes linger.

And then she can't resist touching, the expanse of skin calling to her. Caroline lays light fingertips on his collarbone, a palm on his side. Her thumb traces his hipbone, just below the line of the sheet.

She's startled, when he speaks, voice low and sleep-rough, "Molesting me in my sleep? How very scandalous, for a sheriff's daughter."

His eyes are bright and amused, when her gaze darts up to meet his. Caroline feigns regret, "Well, if you object, I guess I can just go back to sleep." She moves to roll away from him, but doesn't make it far. He uses the arm he'd had draped over her to pull her closer, her back colliding with his chest. His other hand works its way underneath her, and dips low, over her stomach, pressing her hips back into his. And it appears that certain parts of his anatomy were quicker to awaken then others, judging by what's insistently into pressing into her ass.

Smirking, Caroline rolls her hips back into his, shifting on the mattress in a pretext of getting comfortable, pressing her lips to contain the laugh at his soft groan.

Klaus tugs at the shirt she's wearing, "What's this? When did you get dressed? _Why_ did you get dressed?" he complains.

"I've seen _Titanic_. Boats sink. And I do not want to be sitting naked in a lifeboat, for hours and hours and hours."

He huffs out a laugh, and she feels it against the back of her neck, fights a shiver at the scrape of his beard over her skin, "I'm quite sure an iceberg is unlikely, this close to the equator."

"Doesn't have to be an iceberg. Mechanical failure, crap navigating, a really big rock. Who knows? Made a list, back when we were debating vacay options. I was not pro-cruise, but I was overruled."

Klaus hand slips under her tank, runs along the band of her shorts, "I'm offended that your mind is on such unpleasant thoughts, love. When I worked so hard at relaxing you last night."

"Please. I did my fair share of the work," Caroline tells him, with a snort.

"Mmm, I remember," Klaus mutters. His free hand climbs up to her shoulder, working the strap of her tank down.

She bends her elbow, pulls her arm out, and shifts up to get the other arm free, while Klaus rolls the stretchy cotton down to her waist. She's a big fan of where this is going, lingering aches or not. His lips are on her shoulder, but he seems to be in no hurry, working his way across with lazy kisses and nips, his hands on her stomach, occasionally moving up, or down teasingly, grazing the underside of her breast, dipping under her shorts. It's almost relaxing, but not quite. The need building in her stomach has her heart picking up.

Goosebumps pebble her skin, and she squirms, as Klaus drags his fingers up her sternum, her nipples tightening in reaction. Caroline grinds back into him, lifting an arm and turning her head, guiding his mouth to hers.

Klaus smiles against her lips, but kisses her, slow and drugging, his tongue slipping in to taste her in languid strokes. She pulls back with a pout, resting her forehead against his, "Klaus, come on. I had a good time winging it yesterday, but the idea of doing it two days in a row gives me hives. More."

He laughs, and pecks her lips, a hand finally coming up to cup a breast, "So impatient, love. It's early still." But his thumb and forefinger trap her nipple, rolling it gently, until her head's digging back into his shoulder, and she's arching into the touch.

She lets out a moan, scratching her nails through his hair, as she throws her leg back, and over his behind her. She grabs his wrist, urging his hand down, but Klaus resists, biting down on her shoulder, before licking away the sting.

"Something you wanted?" he asks, his voice a low, tempting rumble in her ear.

Caroline shudders, remembering how he'd used the same words last night. It had been after the first time she'd come, she'd been boneless and sated, expecting him to crawl up the bed, and get inside of her. But Klaus had surprised her, pillowing his head on her thigh, eyes tracking up her body to rest on her face. She'd managed to prop herself up on her elbows, curious and mildly confused. He's touched her then, gentle fingers stroking through the wetness at her opening, tracing her folds and toying with her clit. He'd watched her, intent on her reactions, learning her body, what made her jolt and moan, until she'd been panting, toes curling and muscles quivering.

And then he'd used his mouth again, wicked tongue perfecting the motions he'd just been practicing. She'd been clawing at the sheets, writhing and chasing his fingers, chanting his name, when he'd murmured them.

"Make me come, Klaus. Please," she'd whimpered in response, hoarse and needy and unthinking.

He'd sped up, sucked her clit between his lips, and she might have actually screamed, had certainly gotten loud. Afterward, dazed and sweat slick, she hadn't even been bothered by his Cheshire Cat smile, as he'd kissed his way up her stomach.

The memory makes her hotter, has her shifting restlessly in his arms. She can feel her sleep shorts rub against her, stretched taught over her spread thighs, damp and clinging, when she rolls her hips, but it's insubstantial, and she needs _more_.

"Caroline," Klaus drawls, a nail tracing the skin of her lower belly, drawing her attention.

She lets out an annoyed grumble, but knows he won't budge, feels his smile against her skin. Caroline takes a deep, shaky, breath before she speaks, "I want you," she tells him softly, turning her head so her lips brush his skin, "I want you to touch me."

It seems to be enough, and he hooks his fingers in her waistband, "Off," he mutters, and Caroline he helps him shimmy them down, kicking them off the bed. He pulls her leg higher, hitching it over his hip, leaning over her shoulder to watch as his fingers glide between her thighs.

Her sigh of relief becomes a gasp, when it becomes clear that Klaus has forgotten nothing, from last night. Her hand is soon clutching his wrist, nails digging in, breathy words, "More, faster, harder," tumbling from her lips as she rides his fingers, his cock hot and trapped between their bodies. Her climax sneaks up on her, his thumb rubbing circles over her clit, and she stiffens, calling his name.

He adjusts, and slips inside of her from behind, while she's still shaking, inner muscles fluttering. "Fuck," he breathes, into her hair, "you feel so perfect." He does too, the fullness of him making her eyes roll back, prolonging her pleasure. Klaus urges her to roll, and Caroline gets her hands and knees under her, head hanging low. He starts a slow, easy rhythm, building her back up, one hand tracing her damp skin, wherever he can reach. Caroline's got her eyes closed, focusing on how good it feels, him inside of her, so much of his skin pressed to so much of hers.

He pulls her up suddenly sitting back on his heels, and she lets out a moan, as the change in position hits something magic inside of her, sharp waves of pleasure stealing her sanity. Her head lolls back against his shoulder, back arching. Both of his hands knead her breast, as he rocks against her, and she can feel his harsh pants for air against her neck, "Come," he urges her roughly, "come for me, Caroline."

She's close, but she needs a little more, and she moves her hand, circles her clit without thinking, hears him moan, as he watches, "Just like that, love. Let go."

A few more thrusts, a pinch of her fingers and she's toppling over the edge, falling back against him. He follows her, tense against her back, spilling deep inside, her name torn from his throat.

Caroline falls forward, slumps down. She sort of never wants to move again, and the fleeting thought that they've _really_ been wasting this bed, streaks through her mind, and she lets out a giggle, that turns into a laugh, pressing her face into the pillow. Klaus kisses her shoulder and slides off. He clears his throat, smoothing her hair away from his face, "A lesser man night take that badly, sweetheart."

Which only makes her laugh harder. She turns her head enough to look at him, finds him leaning on one arm, looking down at her expectantly, a warmth on his face that makes her breath catch, and teeny flutters of nerves and joy spark up inside of her. When her amusement dies, she shrugs one shoulder, tries for a casualness, "I guess your ginormous ego's good for one thing. And to think, it used to really annoy me."

He pokes her side, a grin curling his lips, "Not as much as you wanted it to, I'd bet."

She kind of hates that he's right there. But she also hates the reminder that she'd put so much time and effort into loathing him, when she really hadn't needed to. Klaus touches her face, tips her chin up slightly, "That looked like a frown," he notes, "which is completely unacceptable."

She swallows down another apology, knowing he doesn't want it, and that there's no point in dwelling on the past. But she wants to give him something, because she's almost convinced that this is real, "Why would I be frowning?" she asks lightly, "I'm happy, Klaus."

A wider grin flashes across his face, and then he's sliding down, winding a hand in her hair and kissing her breathless, pulling closer. She kind of wants to melt into it, push him onto his back and to throw a leg over his waist, and spend the day in this bed. Experiment, to see if things can somehow get even better.

And isn't that a tempting thought.

But Caroline's carefully researched itinerary nags at her. And it's not like she and Klaus won't have a full two days trapped on the boat, once the island hopping wraps up and they're bound for home.

So she pulls back, places a hand on his chest, pushes until the gap between them widens, and she can slide out from underneath him. Klaus flops down onto the mattress, with a pained groan. "I won't be able to convince you to stay in this bed today, will I?" he says, sounding pained.

"Nope," Caroline chirps cheerfully. She sits on the edge of the bed, stretches her arms out. Pulls her shirt, still gathered around her waist, over her head. Swats Klaus' hand away, when he drags a fingertip down her spine. "Sorry not sorry. We've got places to go, and things to do.

"There are plenty of things we could do right here," Klaus wheedles.

Caroline doesn't look back at him, because she's not sure she could resist the sight of him, relax and naked and sprawled out on the sheets. She's not made of stone, okay?

"I'm going to shower," she tells him firmly, standing up. "And then we're going to get breakfast. At one of the restaurants."

Not their usual routine, but it seems prudent. It'll be harder for him to give her the sex eyes, and make her want to throw him on a bed, if there is no bed. She hopes.

Caroline hears him moving, and confident he's actually getting up, she makes her way to the bathroom, "Need any help, love?" he offers, far too innocent to be believed. "I'd be delighted to assist you with the hard to reach places."

"No thank you," Caroline answers primly. He sighs, clearly disappointed. She pivots at the door to the washroom, sneaks a peak at him. "But ask me again tonight," she adds, watching Klaus' head snap up in interest.

They don't have time, right now. But the idea of Klaus joining her in the shower has been a pretty frequent fantasy, of Caroline's, since the start of the trip. And maybe even before. And now that she has the opportunity, it's one she's more than willing to make a reality.

* * *

Caroline's dressed in athletic clothes, her backpack on the coffee table, waiting for him when he emerges from the shower. He'd hurried, as much as he could, but had opted for hot water and his hand, to get rid of the erection that had sprung back up before Caroline had left the bed.

He felt rather less guilty, about using her body wash, now that he knew that she wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her.

He drops his towel, hiding a grin at the way her eyes widen, before she pointedly looks away. He can't quite remember what they're supposed to be doing today, but he grabs similar clothes, and a pair of trainers, throws them on quickly, before joining her.

She's got her eyes fixed on the door and he waits for her to look at him, when he stops in front of her. Her eyes are narrowed suspiciously, when she first turns. but she relaxes, when she takes in his fully covered state. He takes it as a compliment, that she evidently finds him so distracting, such a test of her self-control. He idly wishes he'd noticed it before, thought to exploit it, during any of the numerous times they'd been in the same room these last few years.

Caroline nods approvingly, standing up. She glances down at her watch, and Klaus reaches for her bag, before she can. She gives him a half-hearted glare, which he ignores. Klaus sets out for the door, holding it open and waiting for her to join him, "How long have we got?" he asks, as they leave.

"Almost an hour."

Plenty of time for a proper breakfast. "And what are we doing today?" he asks curiously, glancing over at her.

Caroline's nose wrinkles slightly, "Rock climbing. Another thing Stefan wanted us to do, because he seems to think laziness on vacations is a crime. It's entirely possible I won't be able to feel my legs after today. Between last night…"

She looks faintly embarrassed as she trails off, and Klaus fills in the blanks, his thought drifting momentarily, to some of the things they'd done. A flare of interest shoots through him, but he doesn't let himself focus on it. Caroline darts a wary glance at him, which Klaus understands. Normally he'd tease her, see just how much innuendo he could get away with, before she snapped back, but he's distracted, when her words sink in. When he realizes that he'd never actually intended on going on this particular excursion.

It wasn't that Klaus was _afraid_ of heights, per se. He was fine on planes, tall buildings, glass elevators, even. He'd managed steep hiking trails, with no issue. He just didn't think it was intelligent to hang off the side of a rock, a couple of thin pieces of metal and some cord, the only thing keeping him tethered.

Ropes frayed. Metal wore down. Add in good old human error, and Klaus thought it was just asking for trouble. He'd thought he'd fake a headache, or work up an actual hangover, but it's too late for that.

Caroline's slowed down, having noticed his preoccupation, and she's looking at him oddly, forehead furrowed in concern, "Are you okay?"

Klaus gropes for an excuse, curses himself for not trying a little bit harder to seduce her. It would have solved his current problem, and been highly enjoyable, and would have saved him from having to confess to his hesitations. He didn't show weakness easily, even to people he trusted.

But Caroline looks so earnest, so genuinely worried. She's tangled her fingers with his, and she squeezes his hand. "I've never been rock climbing before," he starts tentatively, "and I…"

"You…" Caroline prompts, after he'd gone silent for a few too many beats.

"I'm not fond of the idea," he says finally.

But Caroline is smart, and observant, and she immediately grasps what he hadn't said. He's both embarrassed and relieved. "Wait. Are you afraid of heights?" she asks, brows rising.

"No," Klaus denies quickly. "Not precisely."

"Because if you were," Caroline continues, matter of fact, "that would be totally cool and not something you should be at all embarrassed about. And we could find something else to do."

"But what about your schedule? Your carefully thought out plans?"

Caroline shrugs, "Technically, you have veto powers, remember? And I'm not a monster, Klaus. My schedule's not more important than you. If rock climbing freaks you out, we won't do it. Does Rebekah not know about this? I'm surprised she let Stefan put it on."

Klaus isn't. Rebekah has a bit of a sadistic streak, and a terrible fear of snakes. She'd never forgiven Klaus (or Kol – but then _he'd_ done it just last year) for all the times they'd found one in the garden, and chased her around the grounds of their country house. They'd been little things, harmless, but she'd shrieked bloody murder every single time.

Rebekah would have needled him endlessly, had he managed to skip the excursion, for years to come. Would likely still do, if she found out about this. So Klaus makes a decision, fueled by Caroline's easy acceptance. She'll not mock him, should he falter. And facing one's fears was supposed to be a good thing. Character building, or some such nonsense.

Resolutely, Klaus shakes his head. "No, I think we should go, as planned, love."

"Are you sure?" Caroline asks.

"Positive."

"Okay," she agrees easily. They reach the restaurant, and she pauses, a mischievous smile lighting up her face. "How about another bet? To make things a little more interesting, maybe take your mind off of the not-fun things?"

Klaus raises an eyebrow, intrigued. His bets with Caroline have so far worked out in his favor, have made the trip more interesting, and he's not at all opposed to another. "The terms?"

"We race. First one to the top wins."

Klaus considers, finds that he doesn't hate the idea. If he's focused on a goal, he'll likely be less focused on the idea of plummeting to his death. "And the spoils?" he asks.

Caroline taps a finger to her chin, a contemplative look on her face, "I'm thinking a full body massage. Oils, music, the whole shebang. And you naked while you're doing it, of course."

Klaus fights to keep his face neutral, to not think about his hands on her body, the sounds she'd make as he rubbed out the tension in her muscles. He presses closer, dips his head to speak into her ear, "That doesn't sound anything like losing, love."

Caroline grins, shrugs one shoulder, "It's what I want."

Klaus wants it too, now that the image is in his head. "And if I win?" he wonders.

"What do you want?" she returns quickly.

A dangerous question. Because he wants so many things. "Can I decide after I've won?"

Caroline rolls her eyes, unimpressed. "Cocky. So cocky," she mutters.

"Guilty."

"I suppose you can," she tells him grudgingly. "I reserve the right to veto, however."

"Deal," Klaus agrees immediately.

Caroline pulls her hand away from his, offers it to him to shake, and Klaus laughs at her seriousness. "Prepare to lose, Mikaelson," she goads.

He takes her hand, uses his grip to reel her in, brushes his lips across hers. He'd have deepened the kiss, might have even pressed her against the wall, because he's not able to think about propriety, when this thing between them is so new, and so easy to sink into. Before he can a throat is cleared, loudly, behind them. Caroline presses her face to his shoulder, and they shuffle over, from where they'd been blocking the door.

He waits for the couple who'd interrupted to pass, before he speaks, "Let's eat. And then let's climb a mountain. I promise to put serious consideration into my prize."

"And I promise to really, really enjoy my massage. Because you're totally going to be the sleazy, happy endings, kind of masseur, right?"

Klaus laughs, and shoots her an incredulous look, marveling at how in tune with his thoughts she was.

As if he'd be able to resist such a temptation.


	11. Day Eleven

**DAY ELEVEN: ROAD TOWN, TORTOLA**

Caroline buries her face into her pillow with an annoyed huff, nudging Klaus away with her shoulder. Yeah, yesterday's morning sex had been great, and she's totally down for a repeat, but she's too tired today. Caroline's certain that it's early, and the itinerary's on the flexible side – when figuring out activities she'd figured rock climbing would leave them sore and so she and Rebekah had planned on simple excursions, within walking distance of the marine. First a spice market, followed by taking a tour of a rum distillery. Then they would head to dinner and one of the five star hotels. The idea had been to treat themselves on the final day of excursions, gorge on great food.

She'd been looking forward to it, had spent a long time drooling over Instagram photos of the dishes. She'd really like to be well rested.

And _maybe_ she doesn't want to think about what the trip coming to a close means.

Two days on the boat after this. Then a quick flight back home. Her home, _not_ Klaus'. Caroline didn't even know if they'd be making it together, or if he was flying back to London out of Miami. She kind of hoped not. The idea of saying goodbye, boarding a plane alone and sad and probably missing him, was _really_ unappealing.

Ugh, not thoughts that were conducive to the sleep she wanted.

But neither is Klaus.

He's persistent, the rough scrape of his morning stubble against the back of her shoulder an irritant that won't allow her to relax and drift off. His fingers curl around the strap of her tank top, baring more of her skin to his attentions. Caroline lets out a grumble, and turns to face him, cracking her eyes open to glare, "Klaus," she complains. "It's sleeping time. What's your issue?"

He reaches out, pushes her hair away from her face, eyes intent and challenging, a slight smirk bringing out his dimples. He looks alert, and only a slight bit of roughness can be heard in his voice, "It occurs to me, sweetheart, that you're a dirty rotten cheater."

"Am not," Caroline first back hotly. She knows what he's talking about immediately, and she presses her lips together to hold in the laugh that wants to bubble out.

Trust Klaus to dwell on the fact that he'd lost their little bet yesterday.

"Does that mean that you're denying the fact that you'd been rock climbing before?" he asks shrewdly.

"Nope," Caroline chirps, completely unrepentant.

"Ha!" he exclaims. "Therefore you cheated."

Caroline shakes her head, "Um, did not. I never denied that I knew how to rock climb. My step dad was a big fan. It was a staple of my summer vacations. It's not my fault that _you_ never asked. I totally would have told you if you did."

Maybe. Probably. She did like to win. But the point was moot. They'd never know what she would have done, since he hadn't asked. So she hadn't _technically_ cheated.

Klaus' eyes narrow, and he looks like he's about to argue. Caroline rolls her eyes, shoving him over on to his back before settling back into her pillow and closing her eyes. "Uh-uh. You lost. Deal with it. I am very much looking forward to collecting on my massage. And my happy ending. But now I want to sleep so shh."

"I'll remember this," Klaus warns. But Caroline hears the rustle of sheets, and the slight shifting of the mattress indicating that he's following her example. "And keep in mind that I'm fairly certain I can make that massage less than _relaxing_."

Judging from the flash of heat the low-voiced threat (promise?) sends through her, leaving her thighs clenching together, Caroline assumes she really won't mind if he does.

She can always go see Ingrid again on the way back home for the proper kind of massage. Give her an update on the Klaus situation while she gets the knots in her muscles kneaded out.

They've come a long way and Caroline kind of thinks talking about it might be helpful, especially with the blissful vacation bubble only days from bursting. And hey, who was more objective than a total stranger? She'd considered calling Bonnie or Kat, explaining things, seeing what they had to say. But Bon was firmly anti-Klaus and Caroline knew that going over why she wasn't anymore would be better done in person. And Kat wasn't all that helpful where real feelings were involved, despite her happy marriage. Enzo was an option, but he was a guy, and kind of unaware of the nuances. Stefan and Rebekah were out, for obvious reasons.

Klaus' leg shifts, his ankle hooking around hers. He barely flinches when she pushes her cold toes into his calf. A far cry from his once loud complaints. Caroline reaches out, resting a hand on his chest. His comes up to cover hers, stroking down her arm absently.

They fit so well, a long way from where they'd started – at pillow barriers and travel bud ground rules. Caroline, if she's being totally honest, couldn't be more thrilled about where they are. Or more nervous about how to _keep_ it, once they have to go back to reality.

* * *

Caroline's humming when she comes out of the bathroom. Klaus glances up from the camera he'd been fiddling with, bringing it up to take a quick snap of her - hair pulled up and a bright dress flaring temptingly about her body. She pauses and blinks and her brows rise curiously, "That looks fancy," she says as she approaches.

"A bit. It's not my favorite medium, but I took a few courses at school."

"Do people buy those too?" she asks.

"No. I merely dabble from time to time." He hadn't really bothered to pull the camera out before now, most of their activities have been a bit too rough and tumble to make the idea of carting it around worthwhile. He'd taken a few on pictures on his phone (though not nearly as many as Caroline has) but he'd thought to take some better ones today. He's set to show at a gallery in just under two months and he hadn't a single painting done. He was banking on the vacation memories would spark some inspiration back when he was in dreary London and a deadline loomed.

He imagined that images of Caroline, gorgeous and happy and looking at him with such warm affection, were likely to do the trick.

She rummages through her bag for a minute, pulling out two sandals and considering them. "Will you send me copies?" she asks. It's lightly uttered, but Klaus can tell that her apparent lack of concern is feigned, and he's not fond of the way she avoids her eyes.

"I'll hand deliver them," he tells her firmly. "The next time I visit."

She glances up, bites her lip, worry clouding her features. "Okay. So not to prove Damon right by appearing clingy…"

Klaus stands and sets the camera aside, keeping a careful hold of his temper. He dearly hoped that it was a very long time before he was forced to be in the same room with Stefan's awful brother. For Damon's sake. "I am _not_ Damon Salvatore, love. Don't ever think that you can't be yourself. Or fear asking me a question."

"What are your plans?" Caroline asks, in a rush. "It's our last port. The boat turns around tomorrow. And I know you said that you didn't want this to be a fling but I'm just wondering how you see it working."

She's got the shoes clamped in her hands, shoulders tense. Klaus reaches down to pry them loose. "I'd flown in the night before we left. I'd planned on spending some more time stateside when we returned. Catch up with Elijah, check on the little one. Kol and I've agreed it's important. Who knows what a fussy nightmare a child with Elijah and Katerina as parents could become without a little spoiling from an uncle occasionally?"

Caroline lets out a soft laugh, relaxing slightly, "He really is the best dressed toddler I've ever seen. Who knew they made pocket squares that small?"

"I'd expected to be camping out in Bekah's guestroom. But I was hoping," Klaus continues, "given how well things have gone, that you'd allow me to impose? Invite me to stay with you?"

He feels oddly nervous, as he asks the question. It's been rolling around in his mind for days, and he's been waiting for the right moment. It's knows it's unorthodox, not the usual progression of a relationship. Klaus finds such a thing easy to dismiss when the past ten days have been as spectacular as they have been. He hopes Caroline does as well.

Caroline surges up, palming his face and covering his lips with hers, curling her hand around his neck when his mouth falls open under the teasing swipe of her tongue. She kisses him fiercely for too short a minute before she pulls quickly. Klaus' breath comes out in a pant, his fingers itching to yank her back. "My bed's not as big as that one," she tells him teasingly.

He leans down, brushes his lips against hers, relief flooding his body. "Technically, we've never needed that much space. Since you can't help your nocturnal wanderings. At least you've finally admitted you can't resist me."

She shoves him away with a scoff, "Shut up. I haven't heard you complaining."

"Mmm, why would I? Particularly once you went back to your skimpy night things."

Her eyes narrow and she bends to slip her shoes on, reaching out to him to maintain her balance. "I still haven't broken out the really skimpy stuff. Don't push your luck."

"Perhaps tonight?" Klaus asks, a touch of hope coloring his tone. He's been very fond of some of her sleep ensembles, is very interested in seeing how much slinkier they can get. "To atone for your shameless cheating?" he goads.

"I did not cheat," Caroline tells him, pointing a finger at him. "You're just a sore loser."

Klaus shakes his head in exaggerated disappointment, trying to look stern, "You did cheat. Intentionally withholding pertinent information is absolutely cheating. You're far more underhanded than your pretty face allows you to appear."

She grins slyly, stepping forward again, winding her hands into his shirt. "Maybe a little. Does it turn you on, Klaus? Just wait until we play Monopoly. I'll kick your ass, of course."

"Big words, love."

Caroline nods decisively, "Alright, next week. It's on."

"I look forward to it," Klaus tells her, pleased she seems to have lost her tentativeness about the future. He sees her in his, and he's got a few more days to convince her that he's serious, another week in her company to drive the point home, to plan out how he'll fit into her life.

He's been thinking about it an awful lot.

Klaus has the upcoming gallery show to think about, two commissions to finish. That should take him into the summer, assuming he doesn't pick up anything else. Henrik will be finished school at that point, no longer stuck in their parent's house and needing an open refuge. Klaus knows his little brother intends to leave immediately, has designs on attending university in New York City following his gap year. Klaus will have a little more freedom.

He's not _officially_ decided on relocating because that would be premature. But he thinks it's more likely than not.

It doesn't hurt to start a few mental lists, go over the possibilities, just in case.

* * *

The click of a shutter, familiar now, sounds behind her, and Caroline throws an unimpressed look over her shoulder. They'd spent a couple of hours in the market, discovered that they had very different opinions about tea. Klaus was a traditionalist, insisted that most of the flavored options were appalling. 'That's not tea,' had been repeated, resentfully, over and over. And Klaus seemed to think deliciousness that was sweet tea an abomination, which Caroline just could not wrap her head around.

On the bright side they had surprisingly similar tastes in hot sauce, both purchasing a selection of bottles. He takes another photo, not the least bit bothered by her lack of enthusiasm. "Seriously? Aren't you tired of taking pictures of me by now?"

She doesn't really mind, and she's pretty sure he knows it.

Klaus throws her a taunting grin, takes yet another. "Never. You make the most fascinating expressions, sweetheart. And your dress is just the tiniest bit transparent in certain lights. It's riveting and I can't wait to peel it off of you later."

"Perv," Caroline accuses, though there's little heat.

It's not like she hasn't directly benefitted from his sexual appetite lately.

Or wasn't planning on benefitting again in the near future. Repeatedly.

"Perhaps," Klaus says, not sounding sorry. "They'll be something to get me through once I'm back in cold, rainy London. When I only have your voice on the phone, your face on a screen. For weeks at a time."

"Weeks?" Caroline asks, turning to face him. They're on a footpath, heading to the distillery. They'd been meandering, chatting and enjoying the sun. She'd bent to examine a patch of greenery when Klaus had once again gotten photo happy.

Yet again. Seriously, he must have a hell of a memory card in his snazzy camera.

He'd peppered in plenty of plans for the future during their conversations, promising that he could in fact cook, would blow her mind with his lemongrass grilled shrimp. Mentioned things in London he'd like to show her, spoke of a painting he was struggling with, promising to send her a picture of it, so she could see what he meant about the colors being off.

"I suspect that's all I'll be willing to endure," he confesses. He's annoyingly casual about it, like saying ridiculously perfect, heart fluttering, things is nothing. His eyes are serious, gauging her reactions, a hint of mischief growing. "I do suspect the phone sex will be spectacular, of course. But it will be no substitute for your company."

Caroline turns on her heel, hurries a few steps so he won't see her smile, hears him follow, long strides eating up the distance between them quickly. "Not sure how I feel about phone sex," Caroline muses, sneaking another peek at Klaus.

He raises a brow, smugness growing. "Never tried it love?" he wonders with great interest. "It will be an honor to show you how gratifying it can be."

Her snort is probably unladylike, but conveys her incredulity loud and clear. "Or maybe I just prefer to dabble in Skype sex, ever thought of that?" Though she can see the appeal of listening to him, without any other distractions. Of closing her eyes and following directions as he talks about the things he's done to her, the things he _wants_ to.

Stupid sexy accent.

Klaus makes a considering noise, and she feels his fingertips graze her arm. "I see the appeal. We should try both. Make an informed decision."

Caroline tangles her fingers with his, pleased when he falls into step with her easily. It's a couple-y thing, one she's kind of always liked, and also not something she would have expected Klaus to roll with. But he seems to have no qualms, his thumb brushing over her knuckles absently.

"We'll see," she replies. "What's the time difference anyway? That might throw a wrench into your grand plans. I can't exactly get my dirty talk on at work."

"I will be five hours ahead of you. And I usually work quite late, so it won't be a problem," Klaus tells her, brimming with confidence. "You can call me when you get home without worrying about waking me." He squeezes her hand, "And I'm mostly joking about the phone sex, love. I'd be thrilled, obviously. But perfectly content to hear about your day, tell you about mine."

She bites down the skeptical, 'Really?' that wants to come out. Klaus has made his intentions clear, and she recognizes that she needs to stop doubting him at every turn. She does want him, beyond this trip. She's got to figure out how to do her part to make it work, and she figures planning for going back to their regular lives is a good first step.

Plus, she's awesome at planning and it totally relaxes her.

"Skype might be the better option," she remarks. "More cost effective."

Klaus agrees, "Good point. But we've plenty of time to figure it out. Not just next week at your place but we'll be cooped up on the boat for more than 48 hours. And since I won't have to waste nearly so much time tracking you down as you attempt to avoid my charming company…"

Caroline elbows him gently, and he smirks in response, pulling her closer and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. They've been heading uphill, and the building is in sight, people dotted around. "I object to charming. And I know that every single mutual acquaintance we share would back me up. I'll do a poll if you want."

"Biased. Most of our mutual acquaintances are related to me and in no position to judge."

"They've known you forever. Literally their entire lives in some cases. They should know better than anyone," Caroline argues. Mostly just because it's fun and she can. She makes no move to leave his side, doesn't swat his hand away when he tugs at the end of her ponytail.

"Spoken like a true only child. Trust me, love. Siblings are professionals at never forgetting the bad moments, reminding you of them at every opportunity. Likely for the rest of your life. Mine in particular have viciously long memories. Remind me never to leave you alone with Kol, actually."

He probably hadn't meant for that to be intriguing, but if Caroline was completely unable to resist doing something she'd been told not to do. Even if it was in a joking manner. She made a mental note to pump Kol for embarrassing stories at the earliest opportunity (maybe even find him on Facebook?). She was certain Rebekah would be a goldmine too.

Klaus sighs, interrupting her thoughts. "And I've created a monster, haven't I?"

"Probably," she confirms with a shrug. "If it makes you feel any better I've known Bonnie since I was like two. Once I convince her that you're not actually a dick you can try to coax a few stories from her."

Klaus nods decisively. "I'll do that. Deploy that charm you're so skeptical about."

"She's totally immune to accents, has a hot English boyfriend of her own, so I think you'll be out of luck."

"We'll see," Klaus says. "I'd suggest we'd make another wager of it, but you'd likely cheat. Again."

Caroline tries to resist the bait, really she does. He wants her reaction, the faintly mocking edge to his words a dead giveaway. He likes riling her up, had baldly admitted it. Caroline struggles and fails, her need to be right greater than her need to stick it to Klaus.

She only ceases her argument, her emphatic insistence that she did _no such thing_ as cheating, when it's time to taste the rum.

* * *

She's humming again, though it's maybe a touch drunkenly. The rum had been delicious and potent. At dinner Caroline's eyes had widened at the array of brightly colored cocktails available at the restaurant. She'd sampled several with their lavish meal. Her shoes are dangling from her fingertips, she'd removed them for the walk back to the ship, complaining they'd gotten uncomfortable. Her hand is warm in his once again, her head tipped up to look at the stars. Klaus glances at his watch, mindful of the hour. The call to be back onboard was earlier than usual, since it was the last day.

But they've got plenty of time so he sees no need to rush her, not when she appears so relaxed and content.

"You're staring," Caroline sing songs, swinging their joined hands between their bodies. "And do not give me some cheesy line about how beautiful I am. Not if your dumb 'no sex while' tipsy rule still stands."

Klaus laughs, her petulance and the dark glare she shoots him endearing. "One, you _are_ beautiful. Two, I am _not_ cheesy. Three, I was staring. But mostly because I'm in a bit of shocked about how well things have gone. Beyond my wildest expectations. I might even have to thank Rebekah, and I sort of hate that. She'll be insufferable, you know."

Caroline's nose wrinkles, "Oh, yeah. Definitely. I'm braced for all kinds of smugness when we see her." Her face turns contemplative, and she turns to look at him with interest, "Do you think this ever would have happened if she hadn't gotten her grubby little paws all over our room reservations?"

Klaus takes a moment to think about it. He'd been trying, at every available opportunity, to speak to Caroline for the past two years. But she was stubborn, and crafty, so he'd never had much luck. He'd liked to think he would've managed to persevere, that eventually Caroline would have unbent a little and realized Klaus had nothing in common with that appalling waste of cells who'd kick started her cold front. That they'd have found their way past it, somehow.

But he has no way of knowing how things would have ended up without Rebekah's interference. "I don't know," he says honestly. "I do know that it likely would have taken ages, if we'd managed it, and I'm not sorry that it won't."

Caroline smiles, slow and pleased. "Me neither."

"And," Klaus adds, letting his voice dip low, "I might have reconsidered my stance. On tipsy sex. I wanted the first time to be memorable, and since I've clearly convinced you there should be many, many times in the future, I don't see why we should deprive ourselves now."

Her eyes widen and her pace picks up, "Now you say something. Geez. We could have gotten dessert to go, you know."

Klaus doesn't resist as she pulls him along. He likes that she's eager, that she wants him like she does. He barely manages to nod politely at the employee who checks them in when they come up the gangplank. He can't bring himself to care that the man seems amused when he wishes them a goodnight.

Why would it bother Klaus, when it certainly will be?


	12. Day Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline and Klaus begin their journey home.

**DAY TWELVE: DAY AT SEA**

Caroline does her best to be quiet as she pushes open the door to her and Klaus' room, tiptoeing over the threshold and taking care not to let her bags hit the walls. She'd slipped out without Klaus noticing and she really didn't want to disturb him.

Klaus is one of those freaky morning people but Caroline's a big believer in the power of sleeping in.

She's relived to note that he's still sound asleep even if he's moved, shifted over on to her side of the bed. She'd woken up ridiculously early considering their late night, in her customary positon - tucked as closely as she can manage into Klaus. He hadn't woken when she did, which was kind of new. He _had_ imbibed more than usual last night and they'd occupied themselves with everything _but_ sleep once they'd stumbled into their room.

 _Might_ have even scandalized one of their fellow cruise goers when they'd paused and gotten a little heated in a corridor. Oops. Tipsy, Caroline's patience had been short, Klaus' not much better. At least they'd been mostly dressed.

And Caroline thought she and Klaus would likely be sticking close to their room on the trip back. They _probably_ wouldn't run into the guy who'd stumbled on them and awkward moments could be easily avoided. At least that's what she was hoping.

Unable to go back to sleep she'd rolled out of bed, intent on gathering a few things. The decks had been deserted, the shops empty, so it had taken less than forty-five minutes for Caroline to buy everything on her mental list.

She sets her purse down, most of purchases too. Except one. Caroline makes sure that the secret shopping bag (containing the _very_ racy red lingerie she's just splurged on – just the thing to make Klaus forget about the whole cheating issue) is safely tucked away.

Caroline enjoyed surprises. As long as she wasn't the one _being_ surprised. And she really wanted that massage.

Slipping off her shoes Caroline grabs her tablet and approaches the bed. Considers for a moment before she strips off her shorts and wriggles out of her bra too. She might as well be comfortable if she was committed to a lazy day. Easing herself onto it, she watches Klaus carefully but he barely stirs. Most of the bedding's been pushed to the foot of the bed (they don't really need the warmth between the two of them) and he's bare save for a single white sheet. It's a _very_ good look and she's tempted to snap a picture. Refrains, because she figures that's the sort of thing she should ask before doing. This thing, _relationship_ , is still very new. They have things to figure out.

She thinks that they'll manage, her confidence growing with every conversation.

Klaus has been nothing but forthright. She'd pegged him as blunt right from the beginning and while she hadn't been a fan of it when he'd been propositioning her (and making his distaste for 'the money hungry wedding establishment' clear) she sees the appeal a now. She's always hated having to play guessing games with men. Wondering _if_ they were interested, _what_ they were interested _in_ , if they were going to call, the endless "I don't know what I want to do, what do _you_ want to do?" It was draining and often disheartening. Klaus has shown no interest in playing them and it's a relief.

Caroline likes to _know_ things to have solid intel and concrete plans. She has a tendency to push for them, more information, concrete answers, and sometimes that turned men off. But Klaus took it in stride, never seemed annoyed by her questions. Encouraged them even. He seemed to like her taking control every bit as much as he liked being the one to call the shots. Publically, like when they were wandering around Road Town yesterday and _privately_ too as he'd shown her right from the first night they'd done more than sleep together, and every night since.

Her muscles in her thighs might ache a little but it was _totally_ worth it.

Caroline gets comfy, settling on Klaus' side (since he's not using it), piling a couple pillows against the headboard to recline on, and keeping her movements slow and careful. She'd downloaded a couple books in preparation for the trip but she hasn't had much time to read. She'd started one on the flight to Miami but her concentration had been lacking, her mind too occupied with seething over the fact that Klaus had somehow become her sole travel companion.

What a difference a couple of days can make.

From what she remembers it had been a good one, worthy of her full attention. The ship is headed towards home so Caroline figures she might as well dive in. Klaus is still dead to the world and she has no desire to venture out and find an activity. It doesn't take her long to become engrossed (trashy historical romances were kind of a weakness and Caroline has no shame about it) and she nearly misses Klaus waking up. His back is to her and he makes a noise, disgruntled and confused, reaching across the mattress.

"Over here," Caroline murmurs and his head lifts, craning to look over his shoulder, eyes hazy. "Now who's the bed hog?"

Klaus huffs out a laugh as he stretches, and Caroline finds the play of muscles in his back fascinating enough to tear her eyes away from her screen. "Did you leave?" he asks, voice low and sleep rough.

"Just for a bit. Picked up a few things." Klaus nods, burying his face in the pillow for a moment. She reaches out and traces the triangle on his shoulder. "I've been meaning to ask, does this mean anything?"

He rolls over, the sheet coming to rest _very_ low on his hips. She refuses to look, keeping her eyes trained on his face, and decides to let his smug smirk slide without comment. She _had_ been ogling. Klaus doesn't call her on it, plumps the pillow under his head before he answers. "Kind of. I picked it because it was easy and cheap. We went to Amsterdam for Henrik's 17th birthday and he really wanted a tattoo. Our mother would be appalled and it's illegal in England at his age. He's always been such a good kid that Kol and I agreed to indulge him. But he got a pit peaky looking in the chair, thought he was going to lose his dinner. Even so he was determined. I went first, got the triangle because I knew it would be quick and fairly painless, would make him less nervous. Henrik decided to get the same and Kol refused to be left out. He claims it sets us apart from our overly prim and stuffy elder brothers."

Caroline grins, "That's kind of adorable."

Klaus' eyes narrow, lips pressing together, "It is _not_."

"Is too," Caroline sing songs. "Like your very own brotherly cutie mark. Own it, Klaus. I promise not to tell anyone."

He doesn't look particularly pleased but doesn't argue further. Probably a good thing because Caroline's not sure she wants to explain that she'd just likened him to a pastel cartoon horse. He taps her tablet asking, "What are you up to?" before his hand drops, comes to rest on her bare thigh. Caroline tenses in anticipation, but Klaus seems content to simply leave it there, his rough palm warm and distracting on her skin.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a teeny bit disappointed that it remains stationary.

"Just reading," she tells him, after a moment.

"Anything interesting?"

"Depends on what you find interesting."

"Try me."

Caroline fights a smirk as she wakes her tablet up, finds her place and begins to read. And well, if it was a naughty part, the hero waking the virginal heroine up with his head between her thighs after they'd eloped, that was just coincidence, wasn't it?

Klaus seems to lose the last of his sleepiness as she reads, his hand tightening on her skin. She keeps her eyes on the screen even as she feels him move closer. Her breath hitches at the brush of his mouth on the side of her thigh. He tugs, pulling until she slips down the bed, shifting so he's looming over her. "Why don't you put that away, sweetheart?" Klaus suggests, lips barely brushing hers. "I commend your… inspirational reading material but I'd hate for it to get broken."

Caroline has no objections and reaches over, almost fumbles when his hands push her tank up, but manages to set the tablet safely on the bedside table. She runs a hand through his sleep mussed curls, sighing when his stubble scrapes against her stomach as he makes his way down her body. He's left her shirt bunched above her breasts and Caroline arches up, tugging it over her head, resting on her elbows so she can watch him. "I have _plenty_ more where that came from, trust me."

Klaus glances up at her, eyes alight with intrigue, "Do you? Tell me more."

He's settled on his stomach between her thighs, seemingly in no hurry, idly plucking at the fabric of her panties at her hips. But between the book and the way he's been touching her, slow and reverent and so promising, Caroline's feeling a little more urgency. She shifts restlessly, parting her legs wider in invitation. Klaus' hands on her hips firm, stilling her movements, a hint of a smirk curling his lips. Caroline glares, "Klaus…" she whines, even if she senses that it's pointless.

Another thing she knew about Klaus? He could be annoyingly stubborn.

"A fantasy, Caroline," he coaxes. "Just one. I promise not to tell anyone."

Ugh, she should have known that would come back to bite her.

His lips skim over the cotton that covers her, a suggestion of a touch. Caroline lets out a groan, flopping back on the bed. She trusts him, but some things are easier to say when you're staring at a ceiling. She knows her face has gone pink, her voice comes out hesitant, "How do you feel about being tied to my headboard with my stockings?"

He doesn't react immediately, not verbally at least.

Then he tugs her panties to the side and licks, and Caroline's heels dig into the bed as she bites her lip to keep from crying out. "Favorable," Klaus rasps when he pulls back. She wants his mouth but the way he's teasing her gently with his fingertips, soft brushes that have her stomach tightening in anticipation, means she's not going to complain. "How do you feel about me returning the favor?"

Also a thought that's crossed her mind from time to time.

"Good," she manages to stutter out. Her skin feels hot, and her hands are twisted in the sheets as she struggles for words. "I…" the rest of her sentence is lost, her back bowing and a moan spilling out as Klaus' mouth returns to her slick flesh, hot and eager and set to drive her out of her mind.

If this is the reward she gets for spilling her dirty thoughts she's so not going to hesitate next time.

* * *

Caroline's right where he's become accustomed to her being when Klaus awakens a second time, her blonde hair a wild tangle about her face, tickling his chin from where it's splayed across his chest. She's not quite asleep, he knows, just as he knows he'd not drifted off for long. Her fingers are tracing idle shapes on his side, and her lashes flutter every so often, her eyes peering up at him, at turns content and contemplative.

It doesn't worry him, like it would have a few days ago. She's settled a bit, her doubts quieter and less insistent. He's certain Caroline is right where she wants to be, believes that he's convinced her that it's where he wants to be too.

Klaus hadn't liked waking up to find her gone. Even if she hadn't _really_ been. His sleep addled mind had been decidedly put out at seeing the space on the bed where he'd expected her to be –sleep warmed and languid. He's woken up with Caroline Forbes a total of eleven mornings in a row. Not a great number, all things considered. But he's enjoyed it, right from the beginning.

He'd like to continue enjoying it. For the foreseeable future and he deeply dislikes that it's not possible.

Adjusting to waking up alone, once he gets back to London, is going to be difficult and Klaus is not looking forward to it. Almost thinks he ought to warn his assistant and his agent to be wary of his temper – not the evenest even on the best of days – when he returns to his day to day life.

He thinks it's likely that the wheels will begin turning once he's away from Caroline, that he'll systematically eliminate obstacles, smooth the way for something more permanent. That he won't be able to stop himself. He's not a man that makes decisions lightly, or one that's accustomed to not getting what he wants.

And what he's decided on, what he _wants,_ is Caroline. And not just in his bed. It's almost amusing, thinking back, how short-sighted he'd been when he'd first met her. Thought her a pleasant diversion, merely attractive. It might be true, Caroline is beautiful, but it's so paltry a thing. Too small and simple to encompass everything that she is.

And he's only scratched to surface. Each day of this trip has taught him something new. A quirk or a habit or a delightfully animated set of opinions she holds. Not all of them are endearing, he'll admit. But he's discovered nothing that makes him think he'd like to stop learning more.

And with the amount of time they've spent together – hours upon hours with little contact with anyone other humans to break them up – he's fairly certain that something of that sort, a deal breaker, is unlikely to pop up at this point.

Caroline stretches, a soft groan coming from her parted lips. She rolls off of him and onto her back, unfortunately tugging the sheet up to cover her chest. She clears her throat, "Good thing I've conquered my fear of itinerary changes. Because _that_ was not on the one Rebekah and I agreed on."

Klaus feels his face twisting in disgust, "Not an appropriate time to mention my sister, love."

Caroline's shrug is unrepentant and leaves the sheet barely clinging to her breasts. Klaus' eyes are drawn down, to the smooth slope of skin. There's a red mark that he knows is the exact shape of his mouth and his body stirs, another thrum of want hitting him hard, despite the fact that he should be too exhausted for such things.

"Doesn't seem to bother you all that much," Caroline retorts knowingly. "Maybe if I start talking about Rebekah you'll remember that my eyes are a fair bit north of my boobs."

"And what lovely eyes they are."

Said eyes roll. Hard. "Don't be such a cheeseball, Klaus. You've already gotten into my pants."

Klaus shakes his head in exasperation at her flippant, joking words. Couldn't a man pay a woman a compliment without being suspected of having ulterior motives? They'll have to address that. Caroline slips away before he can reach for her, landing lightly on her feet and taking the sheet with her. "Nope. If you touch me we'll waste another hour."

"At least," Klaus agrees. Though _why_ that would be a bad thing eludes him. He can think of few less enjoyable ways to while away the rest of this trip.

Caroline rolls her eyes, tossing her hair back, "It's gotta be around lunch time now. I need food. And coffee. And I have to call Bon to confirm that she's picking me up. Well, _us_ up now. And explain to her why you're coming home with me. _That's_ gonna be fun."

Her eyes keep darting to him, lingering for a bit, since he's been left without anything to cover himself. Klaus is not shy, and she's already seen it all, so he feels no need to attempt modesty. Each time her gaze flits away it seems to take some effort, and her fingers are clenched around the edge of the sheet where she's wrapped it around her torso, their little twitches betraying her. He knows her tells, thinks it would be very easy to coax her back into bed with him.

But she has a point about food. Sustenance is important, for what he has in mind to occupy them for the rest of their journey home. And the obstacles he'd thought of earlier aren't only on his end, aren't merely practical things like work and flats and obligations. He's met Bonnie Bennett several times, and she's never been warm towards Klaus. He hears the way Caroline speaks of her, the warmth and fondness there. She'll need to be won over, made to tolerate Klaus, at least a bit, if he expects things with Caroline to progress.

Might be best for Caroline to get that ball rolling and then Klaus can pick it up once they're back in Virginia.

Klaus nods, pushing himself into a sitting position, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and makes his way across the room. Hides his smile when he notices the brief flash of disappointment that crosses Caroline's face when he brushes past her. "I'll hop in the shower, then. Feel free to join me when you're done with your call."

He sneaks a look over his shoulder before he closes the bathroom door. Notes, with no small degree of pleasure, that Caroline hasn't moved an inch.

* * *

"I wish we had popcorn," Caroline says, as Klaus dims the lights. It's early evening and, they're settling in to take advantage of the room's fancy entertainment system. It's an amenity they haven't had the opportunity to use. Caroline kind of didn't see the point, if she was being truthful. There were so many other things to see and do, who was going to stay cooped up in their room glued to a TV?

But whatever. People were weird. And technically she wasn't paying for this suite, so who was she to judge? Her own had been way more modest.

They'd left the room for lunch, after showering (Caroline had made herself decline his invitation, had busied herself on her laptop after she couldn't get Bonnie on the phone, refusing to cave. It shouldn't have been so hard but Klaus' effect on her self-control was _ridiculous_ ). The sex haze was good ( _very_ good) but she figured a little break was in order. Hanging out and watching a movie, something so mundane after the whirlwind of excursions they'd been on, was a welcome change.

A preview of what they could be, how they might relate, once they were back to their normal lives.

Caroline's dressed in one of his shirts and a pair of her sleep shorts, her hair is drying naturally and she's not wearing a spec of makeup. How odd it is that she doesn't care, or feel self-conscious, when she usually had pretty strict rules about grooming in the beginning of a relationship, is something she's trying not to dwell on. Other than to note that it's probably a promising sign.

There's been no awkwardness, no uncomfortable silences. They'd bickered over the movie selection for a solid ten minutes before agreeing on one. Klaus was apparently picky about action movies, who knew? And was also super into documentaries, something she'd remember for later. Caroline rummages through the selection of snacks they'd foraged for, settling on a bag of chips as the closest substitute to what she wanted. Caroline preferred the salty buttery goodness of popcorn to make a person's cinematic experience complete. Figures that would be the one thing tough to find on the ship.

"I'm not really a fan," Klaus admits, settling on the couch next to her. She's wedged into the arm and she burrows her bare feet under his leg.

They were cold. And Klaus _maybe_ had a point about the sock thing. He shoots her a knowing look but doesn't complain about her stealing his warmth. "You don't like popcorn?" Caroline asks incredulously.

"Not particularly. It sticks in your teeth."

"What do you usually get at the movies then?"

"Maltesers."

Caroline wrinkles her nose, "Ick."

"They are delicious," Klaus shoots back.

"If you say so."

Klaus laughs, reaching out and taking a chip from the bag she's offered him. "Perhaps it's a good thing we'll never be forced to share at the movies, love. I suspect you're not so great at it, if your inability to share a mattress is any indication."

She's pretty sure that she's never going to live that down.

Caroline nudges him with her toes in a half-hearted attempt to admonish him, "Only child, remember. I should be expected to be fond of my own space."

"And my space," Klaus teases.

She pokes a little harder, and Klaus winces in response, "Ouch, I didn't say I was complaining, did I?"

"You better not," Caroline mutters. A thought occurs to her, and she feigns casualness as she reaches for the remote control, "or you might not get to see any of the things I bought when I ducked out this morning. And trust me, you _want_ to see them."

She sees Klaus' head swivel her way, feels his interest in the stilling of his leg over her feet. "Oh? And what did you buy, love?"

Caroline continues, purposefully breezy, "That fancy massage oil, for one. And the other thing I bought might not be yellow but it's definitely the nighttime version of particularly tiny. I did promise, didn't I?"

She concentrates on starting the movie unable to help the satisfied smile that slides across her face. He really should know better than to try and taunt her at this point. She fights back and she always fights to win.

Although that could very well be the point. It's turned out well, for the both of them, so far. And she knows they both enjoy the battle of wills, whoever ends up winning.

"How long is this movie?" Klaus grumbles, slouching lower on the couch.

"Two hours. Now shh. It's starting."

She mostly ignores the things he mutters under his breath. Except the not so threatening threats that sound more _fun_ than anything.


	13. Day Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the final day of vacation.

**DAY THIRTEEN: HOMEWARD BOUND**

Klaus was awoken rudely, and not as he'd become accustomed. He's disoriented as the bed is roughly jostled. Since stepping on to the ship he'd usually come to conscious slowly, nudged awake by Caroline shifting or murmuring in her sleep. But not this morning. This morning he's jerked into alertness when the covers are thrown off and a stream of curses registers in his fuzzy brain.

He gropes for the sheet but it's firmly out of reach as what Caroline's saying filters into his sleep addled brain.

"…damn distracting! I can't believe I haven't even _started_ to pack! Where's my list?"

They _had_ been busy last night.

He stretches, muscles pleasantly sore, cracking his eyes open and taking in Caroline's frazzled state. She'd (unfortunately) once again managed to pull on clothes in the middle of the night and her hair's a tangled mess about her shoulders. She's got her hands planted on her hips and is looking around the room, brow wrinkled in concentration. Klaus clears his throat, and her attention whips to him, "Good morning to you too."

The look she shoots him is decidedly impatient, and _not_ amused. "Klaus. Seriously? It's after 11. The ship docks in Miami in less than three hours. I have so much to do."

Klaus reaches for her, trying to be soothing, "Plenty of time. You did insist on neatness, love, so it's not as if our things are going to be difficult to track down. Why don't you come back to bed?"

Caroline's snort is a clear indicator of her incredulity with his suggestion. "Please. That's what got us into this mess in the first place." Her hand comes up to smooth down her hair and she winces. "I have to shower and straighten my hair too. Enzo will never let me live it down if I show up with sex hair."

Ah, so Enzo would be accompanying Bonnie to pick them up. Good to know. Klaus had only met the man a few times, had never been able to get a clear read on him. He did know that he and Caroline had been friends prior to his relationship with Bonnie. Which meant he'd need to be won over as well. "I don't see how all that could possibly take three hours.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to stuff two weeks' worth of stuff into a carry on? Narrowing down my shoe options was agonizing and even after all that it was still like doing a huge jigsaw puzzle. Plus you know how much I shopped."

She did have a point there. Caroline had bought things for a myriad of people, and a number of things for himself. "I'm sure you can put a few of your things in with mine. We _are_ going to the same place."

She cracks a smile at that, "I might take you up on that. But I need to get started."

Klaus fights a forlorn sigh. This is looking like a battle he can't win. He sits up and hauls himself out of bed, rolling his neck to work out the kinks. He had _not_ bothered to dress at any point and Caroline hurriedly averts her eyes. Klaus smirks, and saunters towards her. He brushes a kiss across her pursed mouth, ignoring her annoyed grumble. She hadn't actively tried to dodge him, and her lips move to meet his, so he takes that as tacit approval. He does not attempt to deepen it, keeps his hands to himself and continues on his way. Klaus steps into the sweats he'd discarded at some point during Caroline's massage yesterday. A few seconds of rummaging produces a t-shirt and he tugs that on too.

Caroline appears almost disappointed once he's fully clothed.

"I'll run out for coffee and breakfast. You can get started on your packing. My things won't take long. I'm fairly certain that I had everything done in less than a half hour when I was getting ready to depart."

"Ugh, men. No wonder you forgot sunblock."

"As long as I had the essentials – tickets, passport, toothbrush, credit cards – I figured everything else could be bought, if necessary."

Caroline shakes her head, "I think I'm going to avert my eyes when you start doing the thing you're going to do that is clearly not correct packing. It'll drive me nuts otherwise. I bet you don't even _fold_." The last word is tossed out with an impressive helping of disdain.

Klaus swallows down a laugh, "I do, actually. Though I imagine it's possible your standards are more exacting."

Her sigh is loud, but she turns towards her suitcase. "I'm not going to think about it. Since you've kindly offered to get me breakfast once again."

"You _are_ far more agreeable once you're fed and caffeinated," Klaus jokes. Caroline throws him a glare over her shoulder but he sees that it's mostly amused. It's not really a point that she can argue, he knows.

"Breakfast _is_ the most important meal of the day," she defends herself.

"Which is why I'm going. Be back in a bit."

She waves absently, engrossed in (as Klaus had guessed) some very precise folding. He leaves, his pace brisk. He half expects that she'll move on to his things if he doesn't hurry. If _that_ happened Klaus could expect to be reminded of it every single time they did anything that required so much as an overnight bag.

A situation he thought best to avoid.

Klaus fully intended to encourage the little bit of wanderlust that had grown in Caroline. She'd lit up a dozen times in the various ports, high on new sights and experiences. He'd gamble that she'd be itching to set out somewhere new before too long. Klaus intended to be with her on at least a fair number of future trips (was planning on inviting her to London the next time she could manage a stretch of time off work). His plans meant it was prudent to prevent Caroline from having a readymade dig for such occasions in her arsenal.

He was certain she'd come up with something new. Often. And he really couldn't wait.

* * *

Caroline sets the dress she'd been holding down once the door's shut, putting her mental list aside for a moment. She had been freaked out when she'd seen how late it was, a twinge of panic bursting through her the second she'd registered the time. She _did_ need to pack. She'd once left a single shoe behind on a business trip. A favorite pair, one that she'd splurged on as a birthday present to herself. She'd been upset when she'd noticed while unpacking and had even called the hotel to see if it could be returned. They'd promised to look but apparently it had never turned up.

She'd still been with Damon at the time and he'd only laughed and told her that a bellboy with a foot fetish was probably doing very perverted things to her burgundy Mary Jane as they spoke.

Gross. And so not what Caroline had wanted to hear.

Looking back that was one of the warning signs that Damon wasn't boyfriend material that she shouldn't have ignored. Was a little understanding too much to ask for? If only time travel were a thing and she could go back and give younger Caroline a hug and a firm lecture about how douchebags who completely disregarded your thoughts and feelings were a terrible idea. And mention that she should stop faking orgasms. Maybe then Damon wouldn't have such an overly inflated opinion of himself.

But, sadly, technology had yet to figure out how to make something like that happen. Caroline supposed that she could only be thankful for the life lesson.

She liked to think that she'd learned it well. She'd become pretty comfortable with long stretches of singlehood, pickier about who she made commitments too. She's been contemplating long term lately for the first time in ages. Klaus hadn't ticked any boxes on her checklist of warning signs. He pushed her, but read her well enough to stop well before he crossed any lines. He might have mocked her anal retentiveness just now but it had been good humored. And he'd actually gotten up, left to do something helpful, and she had no doubt that he'd actually pack when he returned, was genuine in his offer to let her have some of his suitcase space. She was even betting he'd be patient when she checked and double checked every nook and cranny to ensure that all of her things were accounted for.

For all his lack of experience in boyfriending Klaus was proving to be a quick study.

Which led to why Caroline was pausing in her very urgent mission. She had something she needed to do and now was the perfect time to do it.

She hadn't had time to call Bonnie again yesterday. After the movie the lingerie she'd taunted him with had come out of the bag. And then it had been enthusiastically stripped from her body. Klaus had retrieved the massage oil and well, by the end of _that_ Caroline had been glad that they hadn't been sleeping on sheets _she_ owned.

Caroline thought it made perfect sense that a phone call had slipped her mind under _those_ circumstances.

But that didn't change the fact that she needed to give Bonnie a heads up. If only so they didn't all have to endure the jokes Enzo would crack to break the awkward silence that would surely happen in the car if she didn't prep Bonnie about just how _much_ things had progressed with Klaus.

Double checking the time she grabbed the phone and dialed Bonnie's office line, hoping that she wouldn't be out to lunch yet. The receptionist put her right through and Caroline began to pace. She wouldn't say she was _nervous_ exactly. She and Bonnie had long since mellowed into an 'If you're happy, I'm happy and if you're not happy I reserve to make the ass who's making you unhappy seriously regret his life choices' approach to dealing with each other's romantic prospects. A big improvement over how they'd handled such things in high school. Caroline wasn't worried about harsh judgement, more about how she was going to put everything that had happened into words and make Bonnie understand.

She'd said a number of things about Klaus over the years, none of them nice. Bonnie was the most loyal of friends so she'd absorbed Caroline's negative opinions easily.

And now Caroline needed her to forget them. As soon as possible. It was only natural that Bonnie would want to know why, how the abrupt turnaround had happened.

That was the part Caroline was having trouble with. How to put it into words? Briefly and over the phone? She and Klaus had spent something like 275 hours together. Even if she subtracted the time they'd been asleep that would have added up to a _lot_ of normal dates. Serious girl talk would be required but for now she just needed to lay out the basics.

"Hey, Care!" Bonnie greets happily. "How are you? Tanned and gorgeous, I bet!"

Caroline finds herself smiling and plopping down on the bed, "I am really good. This vacation has been incredible and I'm kind of kicking myself for not getting out and doing something like this sooner."

"Yes, you're workaholic tendencies are tragic," Bonnie teases. "You needed the vacay and I'm so glad you had fun even if you got stuck with Klaus."

There's plenty of venom in the way she says his name and Caroline cringes remembering the emails she'd sent Bonnie. The first one had been from the plane immediately after finding out that she and Klaus would be a pair and not part of a group for the duration of the cruise. It had contained an excessive amount of caps lock and hadn't been all that flattering in its descriptions of Klaus. The second had been tapped out furiously in the bathroom after they'd checked in, revealing the bed sharing situation. That one had contained several dire threats to parts of Klaus Caroline now had intimate knowledge of. "He… hasn't been bad at all," she begins hesitatingly. "He's…"

Caroline flounders, wondering how to finish that sentence. Excellent at cuddling? Funnier and easier to talk to than I'd ever imagined? Probably going to be super easy to fall in love with? All true but all things that she feels like she should build up to. The silence drags longer than it should and Bonnie's known her since they were practically babies. Few people read Caroline better. "He's what?" she prods, an edge to her tone that makes Caroline certain she's about to start plotting against Klaus.

Not where Caroline had wanted this conversation to go. Bonnie might be tiny but she could be pretty damn scary when she put her mind to it.

She flops back on the bed, squeezing her eyes shut and preparing to just blurt out the truth. It's her forte, after all. "Ugh. He's actually kind of amazing and I was totally wrong about him being awful. He didn't do what I thought he did at Stefan's wedding. Did the exact opposite, in fact. So I'd really, really appreciate it if you could get over loathing him. I have."

There are a few moments of stunned silence while Bonnie processes. "Wait, what? I'm going to need more than that."

"And I would be happy to provide them but I really need to pack. We'll get drunk and buy all sorts of ice cream this weekend, okay? I'll tell you everything you want to know. But for now, just know that I like Klaus. He's going to be staying with me for a few days before he goes home. And he's probably going to be coming back."

"Wow," Bonnie says, the word drawn out and dazed sounding. "That is quite a turnaround and I _will_ hold you to that promise," Bonnie warns, sounding stern. "And FYI you're buying the wine and the ice cream because I owe Enzo fifty bucks. I can't _believe_ he called this."

"He did?" Caroline asks, mind drifting back to the few emails she and Enzo had exchanged over the last few weeks. There had been something suggestive in them, leading remarks about how she and Klaus were getting along that she'd thought were a little weird, but she'd chalked that up to tone being tough to judge without facial and vocal cues. Learning that he'd placed a bet made things clearer. He'd been attempting to stack the deck.

Caroline could respect that. She also believed in playing to win.

"Unfortunately," Bonnie sighs. "He's going to be _really_ annoying when I pay up."

Caroline laughs, "Yes. Yes he is. I recommend wearing something low cut."

"Already planning on it!" Bonnie replies. "I guess that means we're picking up you _and_ Klaus tonight?"

"If you wouldn't mind?"

"No, that's fine. I have your flight details on my calendar. I'll be there."

Caroline relaxes, relieved by how smoothly the conversation had gone. She's certain she's in for a grilling later and she's sure Bonnie will be thorough but she can handle it. Plus, she has a small stack of souvenirs with Bonnie's name on it to offer as bribes. "You're the best, Bon.

"I know. I'll see you tonight."

They say goodbye and Caroline hangs up. She hears a scraping sound coming from the door and shoots to her feet, busying herself with her clothes. Klaus enters with Styrofoam containers and coffee cups balanced in his hands. "Hey," Caroline greets cheerfully. "That was fast."

"Not very many people were around. I think we're not the only people who had their packing sneak up on them." He approaches once he's set the food down, looks over her shoulder and rests a hand on her hip. Caroline lets herself lean into him slightly, fighting a shiver when his lips brush her shoulder. If Klaus notices her reaction, or her lack of progress, he doesn't comment on either. "I got a ton of food since lunch will likely be rushed and we'll be flying around dinner time. And plane food is terrible. Come eat."

Caroline nods, letting Klaus pull her over to the couch. He'd set the containers on the coffee table and she reaches for the coffee. They're not marked and she takes a sip of the first one, immediately making a face when she tastes how bitter it is. "This one's gross so that must mean it's yours."

Klaus accepts it easily, and hands her the top container. "And this one's yours. Extra cheese on the omelet, no green peppers."

She accepts it with a smile, murmuring her thanks before leaning back and tucking her legs underneath her as she digs in. She'd been impressed when he'd remembered something like that, a simple preference that most people wouldn't have bothered to retain, the first time. It hadn't been occurred to her that he'd been paying so much attention. He'd done it repeatedly and Caroline's come to expect it, knows that there's little Klaus misses, but that doesn't mean she can't still appreciate it.

"I spoke to Bonnie," she tells him, after she's taken a few bites. "Gave her the cliff notes version of this… thing."

Klaus looks amused, raising an eyebrow, "Thing? That's what you're calling it."

Caroline feels her face heat up, and she shifts slightly. He'd indicated that he wanted to be with her but they'd never gotten to agreeing on labels. She hadn't been planning on broaching it right now. "It's only been two weeks. I thought calling you my boyfriend was a bit premature."

"And if I didn't?" Klaus asks. His eyes trained on her face watching her reactions with interest. "I must admit it's not my favorite term but I believe it's the best one available."

He's perfectly serious. And completely relaxed. Caroline flounders for a moment. She presses her lips together to stop from grinning like a moron. "Oh," she stutters. "I… You… Boyfriend. Okay."

He lets out a cough that Caroline's certain had started as a laugh. "Splendid. Glad that's settled. What did Bonnie have to say?"

Caroline's grateful for the easy topic change, even if her head's spinning about how simple that had been. It seemed that Klaus' habit of surprising her was also intact. Caroline clears her throat, "She'll play nice when she picks us up but do your best to be likable, okay?"

He looks affronted, pointing his fork at her, "I am quite likable."

Caroline smirks and shrugs, "Eh, you have your moments."

The look he shoots her is withering, but he returns to his food. There might be a soft mutter or two about how likable she'd found him last night but Caroline lets it slide. She ducks her head to hide her smile. She takes a moment to lock this moment in her memory, the way she feels sitting on this couch, amused and happy. _Comfortable_ but there's also anticipation thrumming through her. She'll finish eating and pack, because it will bug her if she doesn't. But she could just as easily flick on the TV and spend the next hour bickering with Klaus over show selection. Or she could climb into Klaus' lap and do some of the things that had flashed into her mind when he'd gotten out of bed, naked and half aroused and completely unashamed about it.

Any of those options sound fantastic. Caroline could easily think of half a dozen more. She's enjoyed nearly every minute of time she'd spent with Klaus since they'd cleared the air. Had even grudgingly found herself enjoying his company before.

It's a good feeling. Exactly the kind a girl _should_ be having about her new boyfriend.

* * *

They're just settling into their seats when Caroline speaks archly, her elbow a gentle pressure at his side. "I'm going to look the other way since it was successful and she was old enough to be your mom. But for future reference flirting with another woman ahead of me is a no-no. I can get mean."

Something Klaus is very aware of. Found endearing, even.

"Gracious of you, sweetheart." He glances over to gauge her expression but Caroline appears completely at ease as she settles into the first class seat the airline attendant was kind enough to upgrade them to. He'd merely intended to get either he or Caroline moved so they could sit together but he hadn't been able to resist pushing his luck when he'd detected a hint of a blush. Caroline had poked him sharply but had recognized what he'd been doing. She'd stepped back with an exasperated huff and Klaus had ultimately been successful. "Can I assume that goes both ways?"

"Obviously. When I'm not around you can do whatever as long as it's _just_ flirting. I've been smiling my way to discounts from one of our flower vendors for years. Sometimes you've gotta stretch your budget." She reclines her seat and lets out a pleased hum. "Oh my god this is comfy. I could totally get used to this."

"It's especially lovely on trans-Atlantic flights, I must admit. The few hours from Richmond to Miami where bearable last time but I can't imagine suffering much longer than that."

Her head swivels to look at him, "This is my first time. If you've ruined me for business class I'm going to be pissed."

"Best make it worth it then, shouldn't I?" Klaus lift the arm rest between their seats, stretches his legs out and shifts closer to Caroline.

She raises an eyebrow, "Ooh, fancy."

Klaus grins, leaning over to speak conspiratorially, "Isn't it? It's the first time I've had to occasion to try this out and I quite like it. Shame I'll likely be stuck next to someone far less appealing on the way back to London."

She stiffens slightly, turns to face him more fully. "When do you leave?"

"The Sunday after next. Early."

Caroline smiles, though it's not the one he's used too. Dimmer, somehow. "Well, I look forward to spending the next eight days with you."

He sinks down in his seat so they're at eye level, "And I you, love. Tell me, do you really doubt me still? Because that came out a wee bit ominous."

She bites her lip, appears to put serious thought into the question. "I don't mean to. And I _am_ trying. But come on, can you _really_ blame me for slipping? We've been glued together this whole time. Who's to say you won't feel differently when I'm a bajillion miles away?"

There's the faintest bit of worry in her expression, leaving a crease between her eyebrows. Klaus brushes a fingertip over it gently, "Caroline, you can't have missed that I've kept approaching you over these last two years? Even after you blew me off, again and again. I didn't give up then why would I give up now when I _know_ what being with you is like?"

She surges forward, wrapping her hand around his neck. She kisses him eagerly, in a way that's not exactly appropriate for the venue. But Klaus isn't complaining. He's a bit breathless when she pulls back, "I've just never done anything like this before," she tells him. "Long distance, I mean."

That's not something that concerns Klaus. They're intelligent, determined people. Surely they can figure it out. "Neither have I, as you know. We'll just have to learn together. Get creative, if need be."

Caroline nods decisively, "I can totally do creative."

He leers playfully, dropping another kiss on her lips, "Oh, I know."

Caroline leans back, her nose wrinkling, "Ugh, you were doing so well. You had to make it pervy, didn't you?"

A flight attendant pauses next to them, "We're taking off soon. Please put your seats up until we're in the air." She favors them with a disproving glance and Klaus feels Caroline pull away from him.

"Maybe you should flirt with her a little. Make sure our drinks don't get spit in."

Klaus doubts it would help. He fastens his seatbelt, watches Caroline do hers up. "So tell me, what does Caroline Forbes usually do on the weekend? Sleep in, I'm assuming?"

"Yep. So you're going to have to entertain yourself if you insist on getting up before ten."

"Noted. I'm sure your flat will be filled with things to keep me occupied."

Her eyes narrow suspiciously, "You are _not_ snooping."

Klaus laughs. The plane begins to move and Caroline's hand clamps down on the arm rest. He'd wondered how she felt about flying and it seems she's not especially fond of it. He rests his hand over hers, traces over her knuckles. "Of course I will. You can tell much about a person from their home. I plan to learn everything I can."

She snorts, "Because that's not creepy at all."

Klaus ignores the jab. "You are, of course, welcome to poke around mine when you visit. I imagine you get busy in May, correct? I was hoping you could carve some time out in April."

Caroline blinks, surprise and pleasure coloring her expression. "I… could probably do that."

"Good," Klaus murmurs. She barely flinches as the plane begins to take off. He takes that as a win.


	14. Epilogue (One)

**EPILOGUE (PART ONE):**

**DAY FOURTEEN:**

"I hate rain," Caroline grumbles. Klaus makes a soft sound of amusement but otherwise doesn't answer. She can't bring herself to mind since Klaus replying might mean Klaus moving and she's finally managed to find a semi comfortable position. They're sprawled out on the floor of the Miami International airport using their luggage as makeshift pillows. Caroline's using her sweater as a blanket and is resting on Klaus' shoulder.

She really hadn't been pro lying on the floor (the carpet was a dull grey color, and who knew what kind of dirt it was concealing) but as the storm worsened and the layover lengthened she'd been concerned that the hard plastic seats they'd been camped in were going to permanently damage her spine. She'd caved, and agreed to follow the example of her fellow stranded travelers who were spread out throughout the terminal. Klaus had bought a couple of magazines and Caroline had settled down next to him and occasionally read along when a headline piqued her interest.

She'd drifted off to sleep for a bit, lulled by Klaus' even breathing and steady heartbeats but it hadn't lasted long. It was too open, too many people moving around. Coughs and shifting and quiet conversations had roused her. It was 2 AM and rain was still beating at the windows and Caroline was getting hungry.

She refused to let this not so auspicious end to her vacation ruin her travel buzz but that didn't mean she wasn't entitled to a little complaining.

"It's cold. It makes my hair frizzy. Runny mascara is the worst. No one likes being damp," she continues. "I could be in my nice cozy bed right now with my hot boyfriend but nope, I am on a gross floor surrounded by strangers."

"Still with your hot boyfriend," Klaus points out, sounding more than a little smug, "so it could be worse."

She rolls her eyes and pokes his side but has to bite the inside of her lip to keep from smiling. "Yeah, yeah. Shouldn't you be defending rain? It's a big thing in your neck of the woods, isn't it?"

"You get used to it. Cold can generally be avoided by dressing appropriately. Do they not make waterproof makeup? If not I think they should. There's nothing wrong with your hair when it's frizzy, and I agree, being damp _is_ unpleasant. I often go directly to the shower after I've been out in it. It helps."

"I'm a bath kind of girl."

"I'm aware. You monopolized our tub often enough. I'm afraid my flat lacks one."

Caroline twists her head to look at him, "Seriously?"

"Afraid so. Sorry, love."

She lets out an exaggerated sigh. "I suppose I'll survive."

"The shower is quite nice if that's any consolation. Large, multiple shower heads. There's even a bench along one wall."

It's said with deceptive innocence, Klaus' eyes remain glued on the pages he's reading. But Caroline sees the hint of a smirk. She'd ixnayed shower sex on safety grounds – not that they hadn't had _plenty_ of other kinds of fun – and she'd be lying if the idea of a bench didn't send certain stirrings of interest through her.

Still. This was so not the time or the place. Caroline made a mental note to do a little research into those suction cup handle things later on. Just in case.

She keeps her tone breezy but pokes him once more for good measure. "Noted. You can pry my bath bombs from my cold dead hands though."

"That sounds unpleasant."

"It's not. It's aesthetically pleasing heaven. I'll send you pictures."

"Of you in the bath? I can't find it in myself to argue."

Caroline snorts, "Yeah, can't say I'm surprised. They will be totally tasteful and kept private unless you want me to murder you. My mom's in law enforcement and I've watched a lot of CSI. They'll never find your body."

Klaus lets out an actual laugh, dropping his magazine. He's had one arm resting behind her back but he wraps it around her, tugging her more firmly into his side. "You threatened to murder me on our first day too, do you remember? Should I be worried about your homicidal tendencies?"

Caroline shrugs, sliding her palm across his abdomen and toying with his shirt, "One, I didn't _actually_ murder you. Two, I think things turned out pretty okay, even after that, right? I mean, our present situation is less than ideal, stupid rain, but I think we had a great vacation."

"I think that's an understatement. I do believe it'll be difficult for a vacation to top this one."

"I'm going to take that as a challenge," Caroline says with a nod. "I like to plan things." She clenches her jaw and fights off a yawn, closing her eyes briefly. They feel gritty even though she'd washed off her makeup hours ago.

Klaus' hand is smoothing up her side and it's nice. Relaxing. "I have gathered that."

She hums, gropes blindly for the magazine. "Can you read to me? Currency comparisons sound boring enough to lull me to sleep." Plus, she had a little bit of a thing for the accent, figured if she could make herself focus on his voice she might be able to drown out the background noise. She was pretty sure he knew (and exploited it, the jerk) but Klaus didn't need an ego stroke in the form of a confirmation.

He shifts minutely, clearing his throat, and Caroline follows the movement letting her eyes drift shut. He begins to read and she lets the sound wash over her, not bothering to focus on the words.

Klaus is right, she realizes as she drifts off to sleep. This vacation will be hard to top – not that she's not up to try. Two weeks ago if someone had told her she'd end it curled up with Klaus on a dirty airport floor, and that she wouldn't even really mind, that she'd be content, she would have insisted that was insane.

If such huge changes could happen in two weeks Caroline wasn't even going to try to guess what other kinds were coming her way. It was a little scary, her not so inner control freak on edge. But it was mostly exhilarating. None of the curveballs this trip had thrown at her had been bad. She was enough of an optimist to assume that the one's life tossed her way in the future wouldn't all be awful either.

**DAY TWENTY:**

"Can you get that?" Caroline calls from the kitchen, after her doorbell finished chiming. "The timer's about to go off. It'll be Enzo to drop off Bonnie and pick you up for your _man date_." She sing songs the last two words and Klaus shakes his head, equal parts amused and annoyed. She'd taken to calling their evening's plans – Caroline was set to spend time in, with Bonnie, while he and Enzo went out – that since the moment they'd been made in the car on the way home from the airport. Klaus expressing displeasure, either visually or verbally, only encouraged her and so he'd learned to remain neutral.

Truthfully, he has no issues with spending time with Enzo. He and the other man had come to get along rather well, Klaus found him much more relaxed than Bonnie (who had quite the threatening glare when she put her mind to it) the few times in the past week they have interacted. He's curious if that'll change once they're away from Caroline's watchful gaze but reasons that even if it does they'll be at a bar and bourbon will surely smooth away any awkwardness.

He's planning on picking Enzo's brain, in as subtle a manner as he can manage, on how he'd found the transition to living in the U.S.

Klaus stands from the couch, turning off the television he's been idly watching while Caroline banged around in the kitchen. He'd offered to help but his culinary talents did _not_ extend to baking (as she'd found when he'd burnt a pan of pre-made breadsticks earlier on in the week) and so Caroline had shoed him out. Bonnie's expression dims ever so slightly when she spots Klaus on the other side of the door (Caroline had assured him that Bonnie would thaw once they had 'quality girl talk' but Klaus had some doubts on that front). "Evening," Klaus greets, sharing a nod with Enzo. "Caroline's in the kitchen. Please, come in."

Bonnie manages a smile, murmurs her thanks, brushing passed him after kicking off her shoes. Enzo lingers after the door's been closed. "I've been told we're to make our exits immediately. Bon's dying to go into interrogation mode. Assures me it won't be for the faint of heart."

Klaus had assumed as much. He'd be worried but he knows Caroline can more than hold her own. She's been far less reluctant to make future plans these last few days, had spent the previous evening quizzing him about his favorite – where 'favorite' meant least awful – of the attractions listed in a London guidebook she'd bought. "Let me just pop in and say goodbye and we'll leave, alright?"

"Fine. Just don't get caught up in the lovey dovey theatrics. I know you're in the nauseating new couple stage but I've no desire to witness it."

He's tempted to roll his eyes, a sure sign that Caroline's rubbing off on him. He _could_ point out that Enzo and Bonnie weren't exactly unsubtle in _their_ affections but he refrains. Klaus saw no need to piss off a good ally at this juncture. "I'll be just a minute."

Enzo trails him into the kitchen and Klaus notes that Bonnie, settled on a stool, has already got a healthy glass full of wine in hand. That's because, Klaus assumes, Caroline's both committed to being a good host and not above plotting to get her friend tipsy and malleable before they dive into everything that happened on Caroline's vacation.

She'll take every advantage she can get, Klaus knows. He's been the victim of her willingness to play dirty to get a win enough times to notice the signs.

Bonnie had been speaking, something about a broken appliance, but she pauses when Klaus enters the kitchen. He steps up behind Caroline at the counter, resting a hand on her hip. "We're off, love. Have a good evening."

She twists so she can look at him, "Have fun. Enzo's a terrible influence so try not to get arrested, okay?"

"I resent that," Enzo says. He's leaning against the doorway, smirking in Caroline's direction. "I never got _you_ arrested, did I?"

Caroline's snort is incredulous. "Not for lack of trying. I talked down more than a few campus security guards after you did something dumb."

"Those don't count," Enzo argues.

Klaus, sensing this is not a _new_ discussion, interrupts. "Another example of your ability to 'speak cop' saving the day? I'm sure Enzo's full of stories that I can't wait to hear."

Caroline stiffens slightly, leaning forward to pin Enzo with a glare. Glancing over Klaus can see his grin borders on gleeful, "Oh, do I ever. And you can't even threaten me into silence, can you? The lovely Bonnie's already been given the rundown of all my youthful misdeeds and adores me anyway."

"Some days it's more 'tolerates'" Bonnie says dryly, "but yeah, I know it all."

Caroline turns her attention to Klaus, expression shrewd, "Don't make me ask Rebekah for Kol's phone number. You know she'll give it to me once she runs out of embarrassing stories of her own about you."

He's not much for public displays but he can't resist wrapping an arm around her waist so she's tucked more tightly against her. "You'll still adore me," he murmurs. "I have no doubt."

Her lips press together, an unsuccessful attempt at holding in a smile. "We really need to work on that ginormous ego of yours, you know. It'll probably take _years_ for it to be anything approaching normal sized."

This time the noise of amusement comes from Bonnie, and when Klaus glances over he's pleased to see her looking almost… friendly, watching him and Caroline with a speculative air. "I think _years_ is a gross underestimation, Care."

Caroline's sigh is loud, exaggeratedly long suffering, "It'll be a tough job but someone's gotta do it," she jokes, nudging him gently with her elbow.

Klaus, of course, has no objection to Caroline taking on the task.

**DAY TWENTY TWO:**

She feels like she's barely gone to sleep when she's awakened. Klaus is trying to be quiet, moving carefully, but she'd been tugged into wakefulness as soon as he'd pulled away.

Sleeping without him is going to be a real bitch tonight.

She stretches to reach her phone on the nightstand, catching Klaus attention. "Sorry," he whispers, pausing in pulling on the sweatpants they'd hastily tossed away last night. "You don't have to get up yet."

Caroline squints at the time. He's right, it's barely 5 AM and she can sleep for another hour or so before dragging herself out of bed to drive him to the airport. They hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Caroline had been greedy for him, storing up touches and scents and all the things she'd miss about having him so close, and Klaus had met her need with his own urgency. "How are you even awake?" Caroline asks, voice scratchy.

Klaus smiles, ambling over to sit on the bed. "I couldn't sleep."

Her nose wrinkles as she heaves herself up, blankets falling to her waist. "Ugh, were you doing the creepy watching me sleep thing again?" she teases.

"I was," Klaus tells her, completely unrepentant. His eyes are drifting over her, darkening hungrily as they take in all her bare skin. Caroline deeply regrets they don't have nearly enough time for all the things he's clearly considering. Klaus seems to realize the same thing, shaking his head regretfully. "And I look forward to the next time I have the opportunity to creepily watch you sleep."

Caroline does her best to smirk at him, swallowing hard. Klaus is being sweet and she's determined she won't cry until they're _actually_ at the airport. She needed a little levity. "Hey, if that's your kink we can set up a webcam or something. It's _way_ less weird than some things you could be into."

He follows her lead easily, leaning forward with a playful leer, "Trust me, sweetheart, I can think of plenty of _weird_ things we can do via webcam if you'd like." His lips brush over hers before she can reply and he kisses her until she forgets what she was going to say. Probably a good thing because, like everyone, she'd definitely seen some questionable things on the internet. "I'm going to shower. Try to rest some more, will you? I've got hours on the plane to catch up but you've got to drive home after."

That was true. Plus, she was totally going to end up stopping at the grocery store and stocking up on chocolate treats to have a good wallow. Would probably be too high on sugar to take a quality nap later on. Caroline squirms back down so she's resting on the pillows obligingly. She doubts she'll fall back asleep but it doesn't hurt to try. "It's Sunday," she tells him, closing her eyes. "Uber early. There won't be any traffic. You don't need to worry about me."

Klaus laughs knowingly and she feels the bed shift when he gets up, "Oh? Does that mean you _won't_ be demanding I text you when I land safely?"

Ugh, of course she would be. "That's different," she mutters, despite knowing it's a weak argument. She shifts to get comfortable, cracking her eyes open to look at him. " _You're_ supposed to be the laid back one about travel here and _I'm_ the paranoid nutball who thinks planes are evil death traps, remember?"

"Which is why I will send you a text the minute my plane's wheels are on solid tarmac," Klaus promises.

Slightly mollified Caroline still mutters, "You better," as she rolls over and buries her head in the pillows Klaus has been using, listening to him make his way to the bathroom. She's half tempted to join him, have one last memory of him slick and warm against her to draw on in lonely moments but she refrains, makes an effort to breathe deeply in hopes of catching a little bit more sleep.

She's always been _the_ worrier in her relationships. It's kinda nice to be on the other end.

**DAY TWENTY NINE:**

He waits until early evening to call Caroline, knowing her usual love for a lie in was likely only enhanced by the wedding she'd been at yesterday. It had been a last minute affair, one she'd taken over from one of her coworkers who'd had a family emergency. An extravagant celebration and a difficult client had been dropped into her lap and Caroline had been tearing her hair out over the plans for the past few days meaning she'd not had much time to talk.

A state of affairs Klaus found displeasing, especially because when they did speak he could hear the strain, the tiredness, in her tone.

Like when they'd spoken briefly on Friday once she'd received his package (Klaus hadn't done Valentine's Day gifts in ages so he'd been a bit apprehensive over his selections but Caroline had seemed to like the framed photographs – from the sets he'd taken on the final day of their trip – that he'd had printed in black and white. He'd thought they'd look good in her flat and she'd seemed to agree. He'd tried to call her later on in the day once her gift had been delivered to his door (a bottle of bourbon from a distillery in her area that he'd come to like and his very own Monopoly set, the Star Wars edition, since she'd been aghast that he owned zero board games) but had gotten no answer, though she'd texted him later on apologizing and explaining that she was swamped. He'd gotten a single text yesterday wishing him a happy Valentine's Day.

She answers after several rings, bright and warm, "Hey! How are you?"

He settles into his sofa, legs stretched out, "I'm fine, love. How are you? I hope there were no major disasters?"

The noise she makes is half a laugh, half a groan. "Well, according to the bride and her awful mom there were several but she ended the day married so I guess it all worked out. I do not want to see another red rose for a very long time. It's not a great smell when there are thousands of them in an enclosed space."

Klaus could imagine, having always found the scent roses to be sickly sweet even in small doses. "I'll make a note."

"I wasn't fishing for a floral delivery, FYI."

He finds himself smiling. As far as hints went that would have been far too subtle. Not Caroline's usual style. "Of course not. You'd prefer those be a surprise, would you not? It's a small enough one that it wouldn't bother you, I'm guessing."

"Are you _sure_ you don't have some freaky mind reading ability?"

"Positive. Things calm down for you next week, if I recall correctly?"

"Yup! I'm in the early stages of a couple of summer weddings and I have a big fundraiser for a politician coming up. The aide assigned to it clearly has no idea what he's doing so he just nods and smiles and takes all my suggestions. It's pretty much my favorite kind of assignment."

"Yes, you _are_ a born dictator. It's sometimes rather frightening."

"Shut up," Caroline tells him, but he can hear the laugh in it. "What about you? Still painting up a storm?"

"Yes. My agent is thrilled." An understatement. Klaus had very nearly been able to see the dollar signs flashing in the man's eyes when they'd met and he'd sketched out the concept for his next show, shown a few sample pieces. Luckily, Marcel was fantastically skilled at his job and Klaus knew if the man was imagining a tidy profit _he_ could also expect to do very well for himself. "I'll send you some pictures tomorrow."

"Ooh, I'll make them my screensaver at work and get all the girls in the office jealous about my mysterious artist boyfriend. They'll go nuts when I tell them you're from England. Maybe I'll play up the vacation angle? Make it seem like a total rom com come to life."

Klaus found he didn't _hate_ that idea. Even internally preened a bit at the idea that she _wanted_ to show him off. "Then I'll definitely have to send flowers."

"Well, no pressure, of course. But I _do_ have an office nemesis and she _has_ been insufferable about my single state more than once. I'm an awful petty person, in case you hadn't noticed."

"You're not awful. And I've been known to dabble in pettiness myself so I'll not cast stones."

That sets Caroline off into needling him about their bet about the bed, Klaus jumps to defend himself. He barely notices the time passing, not until his flat is shrouded in darkness and his stomach rumbles to remind him he's skipped dinner.

**DAY FORTY FIVE:**

Caroline lets out a whistle as Rebekah approaches, ignoring the disgruntled glances a few of the restaurants patrons send her way. Rebekah looks a little peeved, but not too much, her stride speeding up as her eyes roll upwards. "Look at you and your cast free legs!" Caroline exclaims. "Your super-hot legs, fyi. How's it feel?"

"So good, you have _no_ idea. The cast was such a nuisance to sleep in, having to heave it all over the place, catching on the blankets. Stefan got kicked at least once a night."

Caroline smirks as Rebekah settles into the booth across from her, "Accidentally, or…"

"Caroline, what do you take me for? Accidentally!" Rebekah replies, her outrage clearly feigned. "Mostly. Sometimes he'd deserved it."

"I'll bet."

A waiter stops by to introduce himself, asks if they'd like more time before ordering. They've been to this restaurant dozens of times, it's neatly situated halfway between her apartment and Stefan and Rebekah's house so neither of them need to consult a menu. Caroline asks for her usual girl's night margarita, Rebekah chooses a red wine, and they bicker over appetizers to the server's amusement. Once he's walking away with their order Rebekah turns shrewd eyes on Caroline.

Caroline groans, slumps back in her seat. "Ugh, can't you at least wait until there's booze handy?"

Rebekah looks distinctly unimpressed. Not that Caroline had expected mercy. She's skillfully brushed off this conversation for weeks but she'd known she couldn't avoid it forever. Tenacity was something she and Rebekah had in common. "First, you avoid practically all of my emails while on vacation. Then you and Nik practically wall yourself up in your flat for a week. You've avoided me in person since he flew back to London, using Stefan as a buffer when you don't manage to beg off using work as an excuse. Honestly, you're lucky my broken leg bought you _this_ much time. You're dating my favorite brother, Caroline. I think I am entitled to some information."

She _could_ quibble with the word entitled but decides not to. Caroline might genuinely like Rebekah these days but was fully aware that Rebekah was kind of a lost cause when it came to that particular concept.

"Fine," Caroline mutters, sitting up straight and leaning forward, letting her hands fold together on the table. " _Yes_ , I am dating your favorite brother. _Yes_ , it's going pretty well considering the distance. Happy?"

Rebekah's incredulous noise tells Caroline that she is not. "Caroline. _Nik_ could have told me that and he's a man. A man with the emotional range of a houseplant."

She's surprised by how quickly she bristles at that, biting down the urge to defend Klaus. He wasn't exactly the warmest person, and he was awful with strangers, but he deserved _some_ credit for being perceptive and _trying_ , didn't he? It had been him doing the poking and prodding that had led them from icy acquaintances to what they were now. She attempts to be diplomatic, "I have no issues with Klaus' emotional range, Bekah. If I did I wouldn't have said things were going well."

"How well is _well_?" Rebekah presses, her impatience growing. Caroline hopes the waiter returns with the food and the wine before impatient turned to tetchy.

"I like him," Caroline says simply. "I'm sorry that I was stupid and talked myself out of liking him two years ago at your wedding over a misunderstanding."

Rebekah's brows furrow, "What did happen two years ago?"

"Damon," Caroline grumbles acidly, hoping that's all the explanation that'll be needed. Thankfully, Rebekah just nods, her face twisting in understanding. Caroline continues, deciding to bring out the big guns. "But I'd rather not talk about him. Ever. I owe you a thank you, Rebekah."

"For what?" Rebekah asks, blinking in surprise.

Caroline was totally going to have to make this one up to Klaus. Luckily, they had a Skype date planned for later and she had some new lingerie that she was certain would be sufficiently distracting. "For playing matchmaker. I could have done without the terrible blind dates but I'm happy you sabotaged our room bookings."

Rebekah's eyes widen in shock, "I am going to _kill_ Nik."

It's a quiet mutter and Caroline finds herself laughing. "No you're not. _That_ I would be mad about. And come on, I'm sure it would have come out eventually. You wouldn't have been able to resist taking credit for this forever."

Rebekah argues and attempts to claim that she is the very picture of magnanimousness. Caroline's known Rebekah long enough to lob back some rebuttals, specific instances where that was very much not the case. It's sufficiently distracting, they bicker good naturedly for the duration of the meal. Caroline's very pleased with herself, and her expert handling of the situation.

No way in hell was Rebekah going to weasel out the specifics of her feelings for Klaus before she had the opportunity to verbalize them to him in person.

**DAY SIXTY-THREE**

Klaus is exhausted, his feet dragging as he makes his way to his door. He'd nearly fallen asleep in the cab, had been rudely jerked out of his stupor with an abrupt stop. He'd been at the gallery since mid-morning, first dealing with the final placement and lighting of his pieces then meeting with Marcel. First they'd gone over the tedious things – important guests they were expecting, the final food and wine the caterers would be serving. Klaus had then spent a long while going back and forth with Marcel in regards to pricing of the ones he was selling, insisting that no, certain canvases were, under absolutely no circumstances, available for purchase even if Marcel thought they'd get snapped up in an instant. Klaus had plans for those.

He'd gotten an odd text from Kol around dinner time, had been too busy to puzzle out its meaning then and he's currently too tired to care. It was relatively simple, saying only 'Don't say I never gave you anything, brother' but when Kol got cryptic Klaus got concerned.

Whatever it was would have to keep until Monday. It didn't _sound_ like Kol was in trouble which was a small mercy.

It's nearly 1 AM now and all Klaus wants is a shower and his bed. Caroline should just be relaxing at home and she'll be able to chat before he goes to sleep. She's been fairly silent throughout the day, fewer than usual texts and he hopes nothing unfortunate had happened.

Hearing her troubles, the occasional strain in her voice even when she attempted a cheery spin, was always a trial knowing there was little he could do to help or distract her from thousands of miles away.

Klaus rolls his head to the side as he deals with his lock, wincing at the ache. He's very much looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow, he's only got to show up, look presentable and be ready to smile and entertain the people who'll shell out money for his work while they drone on and on about symbolism and his color choices and all sorts of other things. It's Klaus' least favorite part of his career and he's thankful it only needs doing a few times a year.

He stills once he's stepped into his flat, a feeling of unease washing over him. The television is on, the volume turned to a low murmur and he knows he hadn't touched it before he'd left for the day. A quick glance at his kitchen shows a pizza box sitting on the counter, one that also hadn't been here before.

Clearly, someone's been here.

He fishes out his phone even as he relaxes slightly as logical thought sinks in. A burglar wouldn't have ordered dinner and then locked the door on their way out. Still, it didn't hurt to be cautious. He feels for the lights, flicking them on so the rooms are brightly illuminated. His eyes scan his familiar possessions and nothing seems out of place or missing. He hears a soft groan from the couch, one that's familiar and Klaus' pulse leaps in anticipation and a touch of confusion. He strides over so he can see that there is, in fact, a figure stretched out along the brown leather cushions her head pillowed on the arm rest and a blanket from his bed tucked tightly around her.

He grins, tiredness receding as he in sleep rumbled state. Caroline wasn't supposed to arrive until next week, had planned to be here for ten days over his birthday, but Klaus isn't going to complain that she's early. She blinks up at him, stretching her arms above her head. Klaus circles the couch so he can sit when she shifts over to give him room, perching on the edge and reaching out to tuck her hair away from her face. "This is a surprise," he murmurs.

"Mmm," she sighs, leaning into his touch. Her voice is hoarse from sleep, her lashes still fluttering as she fights it. "A good one, I hope."

"The best," Klaus tells her seriously.

She yawns, covering her mouth before speaking again, "Kol let me in. Said you wouldn't mind. He even picked me up and bought me dinner."

Ah, that explained the text then.

"I don't though I suppose I'm not to expect a birthday present from him," Klaus jokes. "Not after he exerted himself so strenuously.

Caroline smiles, "Yeah, he kinda said the same thing."

"You could have called me, sweetheart. I'd have jumped at the chance to wrap things up sooner had I known you were here."

"I knew you'd be late. You said as much when we texted this morning, remember? I tried to stay up but apparently trans-Atlantic flights make me really sleepy. Besides, I totally took the opportunity to snoop. Since you said that was cool way back when."

He'd always figured she'd remember that. "Find anything interesting?" Klaus asks curiously.

Her nose wrinkles, "I think you might have lied about the cooking thing. You have nothing but condiments and beer. Good condiments, but still."

"Side effect of my deadline. I've eaten an appalling amount of takeaway these last few weeks."

Caroline yawns once more, does her best to stifle it while appearing embarrassed. "Sorry, I was up really early. I promise I am actually happy to see you even though I am falling asleep."

Klaus does the mental calculations, "What time was your flight?"

"5 AM. Which is a totally evil hour of the day that someone should do something about."

He suppresses a smile at her disgruntled expression as he stands, offering Caroline his hand. She takes it and comes to her feet when he tugs, the blanket pooling at their feet. He presses his lips together to muffle the sound that wants to come out, an audible noise of appreciation as he takes her in. She's wearing one of his shirts and little else and he clenches his hands into fists so he doesn't push her back down onto the couch.

Caroline shakes her head ruefully, looping her arms around his neck and resting against him, "Yeah, I had _big_ plans. Dirty fun plans. But I don't think I can do them justice right now."

He resists the urge to glide his hands low, to investigate the smooth skin of her thighs and discover if she's actually naked under his Henley. His body rebels against his restraint but Klaus forces himself to remain in control. She's tired and so is he and he'd hate for the first time he's been able to touch her in weeks to be lackluster because of a silly, easily remedied, thing like a lack of stamina.

He's been thinking about it since he left her, had made all sorts of promises over the phone. Ones he fully intends to make good on. Klaus takes a deep breath and slips a hand into her hair, gritting his teeth when she lets out a pleased little moan even as he keeps his caress light. "I'd be happy to hear all about your plans in the morning, love. We'll go to the market, stock up, and I'll make you breakfast, how's that? We've got a good ten days for your plans. And mine."

"Sixteen," she mutters, pressing a kiss to his throat. She pulls back to look at him, a quick flash of that insecurity Klaus loathes crossing his face. "Assuming that's okay with you? My coworker, the one I covered for a while back, offered to handle some things for me in return so I thought…"

The rest of her words are lost under his mouth, his hand in her hair angling her head so he can kiss her deeply. Caroline rises up onto her toes, clutching his shoulders.

He hopes his actions make his thoughts on the matter clear enough, though he makes a mental note to tell her later. An extra six days of Caroline's company is more than okay and she's welcome to surprise him in such a way any time.


	15. Epilogue (Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time marches on...

**DAY SEVENTY SIX:**

Caroline's almost free, barely daring to breathe because success is so close. She's  _inches_  away from setting her feet on the floor and Klaus is still dead to the world behind her. She's got a plan and she can practically  _taste_  victory.

Her triumph is short lived and she sighs in defeat when a familiar hand sneaks around her waist.

How did he  _do_  it?

She's tugged backwards and Caroline goes willingly, flopping back onto the pillows. Klaus presses a kiss to the nape of her neck, in the exact right spot, and Caroline tenses so she doesn't shiver. They've had plenty of lazy morning sex these last few days. She won't allow Klaus to distract her from her chosen mission.

She rolls towards him before he can fit himself along her back. Caroline knows her face twisted into a scowl, she's peeved at being thwarted. Klaus' eyes are closed so he misses the effect. "Tell me the truth, do you ever really sleep? Or are you some kind of mutant? You can tell me, you know." Klaus' response is a vague hum, his brow furrowing in confusion. Caroline pokes him (gently since it  _was_  his birthday) and Klaus twitches, his eyes fluttering open. "I practiced," she tells him once she's sure he's paying attention. "At home and yesterday when you ran out to pick up dinner. I am a freaking ninja."

His expression grows more bewildered. Half awake and rumpled, Klaus is unfairly adorable and Caroline's annoyance is quickly begins to ebb. He clears his throat, "Practiced what?"

"Climbing out of bed with maximum stealth and minimal noise, duh. I was going to make you a birthday breakfast in bed. But  _no_ , you can't sleep in just this once."

He does a terrible job at appearing contrite, barely hiding a smile, "My sincerest apologies. Will you allow me to make it up to you?"

He's not subtle in hinting at  _how_  he'd like to pay penance as he crowds closer. Klaus' thigh pushes between hers and the hand he's got on her back slides under her shirt to trace the dip in her spine.

She's really going to miss waking up with him when she leaves on Monday.

Caroline shoves the thought away as soon as it occurs to her. They had a whole weekend left, melancholy would have to wait. She can wallow on the plane ride home. Hopefully, if she looks like she's in a bad mood, she'll be spared having to endure a chatty seat partner. On the flight to London Caroline had spent eight hours listening to a woman talk her ear off about all the things she was hoping to do when she saw her grandkids. It had only been her own excitement, the high of knowing she was about to surprise Klaus, that had allowed her to deal with it genially.

Klaus is watching her expectantly, idly toying with the waistband of her shorts. His fingers slip under and her stomach tenses in anticipation. It would be so easy to indulge, to allow him to follow through on his plans.

She refuses to let her hormones run the show right now.

Reluctantly, Caroline grabs his wrist, stilling his exploration. "Nope. There is  _definitely_  birthday sex on the agenda. But later."

Klaus narrows his eyes. It's a calculating look, one she recognizes. It usually means he's about to attempt a negotiation. Caroline can hold her own, has won as much as she's lost against Klaus in the occasional (okay fine, semi-frequent) battles of wills that they engage in. Today, however, even more than any other day, losing was  _not_  an option.

Caroline extricates his hands from under her clothes, tangling their fingers together. She throws a leg over his hip, pinning his hands next to his head as she straddles him. Klaus bites his lower lip, eyeing her speculatively, "Is another experiment with bondage on your agenda, sweetheart?"

Caroline lifts a shoulder in a shrug, refusing to break eye contact though she kind of wants to squirm a little (in a good way) at the reminder of some of the things they've been doing. Klaus is trying to throw her off, she knows, and she won't let him. Caroline strives to be as nonchalant as possible. "Maybe. It went well the other night, didn't it? And the lingerie I bought for the occasion  _does_  totally fit the vibe."

Klaus' next inhale is a little sharp and Caroline presses her lips together to keep in a triumphant smile. Point: her.

She releases his hands, sitting up straighter, "Certain portions of the evening will be the birthday boy's choice. I'm not a total dictator."

At that Klaus laughs openly, a generous helping of disbelief in the sound. Caroline rolls her eyes, leaning down and brushing a kiss over his stubbled cheek, right where the dimple peeks out. "Fine, fine. How about, I am a  _benevolent_  dictator? I think you'll enjoy every single thing I have planned. I did research, consulted several of your siblings, and put all my snoop time to good use."

Caroline climbs off of him, crawling to the side of the bed, Klaus props himself up on his elbows, watches her straightens nightclothes with eyes that are still heated. He doesn't attempt to follow her, however, something Caroline appreciates. He lays back down when she perches on the edge of the bed to put on a pair of slippers, folds his arms behind his head when she glances back at him. "What are you making for breakfast?" Klaus asks, "Or is it a surprise?"

Caroline grins, bounces slightly, "Of course it's a surprise."

Klaus shakes his head, mostly amused, "For someone who hates surprises you're certainly eager to inflict them upon others."

"Part of my charm!"

"It's a good thing I trust you," Klaus mutters exasperatedly.

She pauses when she catches the words, on her way out of the room, takes a second to absorb the little giddy thrill they send through her. Such a simple thing, trust, but it was a big indicator of how far they'd come, a hint that could things were still coming, that they could thrive despite their geographical distance. Caroline finds herself sorely tempted to dive back into the bed and toss all her big talk about plans aside.

She refrains. Barely. This is the first birthday she's spent with Klaus, and thirty is an important one. From her conversations with his family she's come to understand that he's got a soft spot for birthdays. She's determined to make this day a good one, even if it means she'll have to top herself when the next one rolls around. And keep topping herself on all the ones after that.

It's a good thing Caroline's always enjoyed a challenge.

**DAY NINETY:**

When he hears a key in the lock Klaus is immediately annoyed. He knows exactly who's disturbing him. Henrik had been kind enough to text him a warning, likely feeling guilty for being an accessory in Kol's plans.

Klaus had swiped Kol's set for his flat at the gallery showing three weeks ago. They'd gone through an odd phase as children, obsessed with learning how to pick pockets and jimmy locks. It had proven useful a time or two in adulthood, and Klaus had always had faster hands then Kol. He'd not trusted his brother not to purposefully barge in at an inopportune time during Caroline's visit.

Inopportune moments were Kol's favorite kind.

He'd not given them back, has been ignoring Kol's insistent calls and texts for more than a week. Unfortunately, Kol wasn't one to let a little thing like being ignored stand and had cajoled Henrik into parting with his own keys to Klaus' place. He'd debated leaving once he'd read Henrik's text. He  _was_  long overdue in making a trip to the grocery store, but he'd known Kol would simply plant himself on the sofa and wait.

Best to make the inevitable confrontation quick.

Klaus keeps his eyes on his sketchbook, doesn't bother to turn when the door opens, nor when Kol kicks off his shoes and tosses his jacket on the kitchen island. His brother circles the sofa, throwing himself down on the opposite end before he swipes Klaus' cup off the table, making a show of sniffing it. "It's just tea," Klaus tells him.

"Evidently," Kol adds, sounding perturbed, though he doesn't seem to have any qualms about finishing the cup. He crosses an ankle over one knee, shifting so he can study Klaus.

In great detail. Klaus feels a sudden sympathy for zoo animals. He refuses to be the one to break the silence that falls over them. It's what Kol wants and it would inevitably be taken as a sign of weakness. The quiet stretches on, broken only by the scratching of pencil on paper and Kol sipping his pilfered tea. Kol gets bored first, "You know, drowning your sorrows in booze would be much more fitting of your chosen profession, Niklaus. You're dishonoring a long tradition of broody artists."

"Somehow I'll manage to live with myself," Klaus mutters. He uses his thumb to smudge the lines of the tree he'd been sketching, a memory of a clump of Black Walnuts next to a park bench. It's an image he remembers from an afternoon in February when he's stayed with Caroline in Virginia.

Kol would have no way of knowing that. A good thing as it would likely make him even more aggressively nosy.

"Your call," Kol replies cheerfully. "That's not a lot I'd want to be haunted by."

"I'm sure the ghosts of broody artist's past have better places to haunt than my flat."

Kol makes a scoffing noise, and Klaus knows he's growing irritated. Nothing bothered Kol like his inability to bait someone. "I understand missing the lovely Caroline's company, Nik, but couldn't you do it in a manner a bit more exciting? Honestly, drinking  _tea_  and doing your best impression of a shut in is so dull I think you've been taking tips from Finn."

"I've had a busy few months," Klaus replies. "Surely I'm entitled to a little me time?" He regrets the phrasing immediately, rushes to tack on something distracting before Kol can put together a crass quip about Klaus' masturbatory habits, "Though I  _am_  immensely heartened by your concern for my happiness and well-being, little brother."

As expected Kol shudders exaggeratedly, "Ugh, stuff the sentimentality Niklaus. I'm only here because Rebekah threatened me. She's worried and you know how shrill she gets when she's worried."

Klaus is going to need to have a serious talk with Rebekah lest her meddling habit grow out of control. "There's nothing to worry about. Long distance might not be ideal but I think it's worth it."

"About that, why bother with the distance?" Kol asks, more curious than judgmental, Klaus notes with some surprise. "It's not like you're tied here by much. I overheard Marcel saying you weren't planning on doing another show in the fall like you usually do. Some snooty woman was complaining that everything had been bought by the time she showed up."

"Henrik's finished with school in June. Sets out on his trip in July. I'm here until then," Klaus says. He's got piles of research on his laptop, about visas, the housing market in Virginia, even sublet contracts because he knows giving up his flat outright isn't smart. Kol doesn't need to know any of that just yet, not when he's completely incapable of keeping such information to himself.

"I cannot believe you're considering joining Rebekah and Elijah stateside and leaving me here to endure mother and father all on my own."

"With Henrik gone there'll be no need to endure, will there? Just ignore the summons when they come."

"I could.  _Or_  I could just go to dinner by myself and make it so I'm never invited back." Kol's glee at the possibility is palpable.

Klaus shakes his head, heaves himself to his feet. Kol looks to be settling in so he might as well open something stronger than tea. "If anyone could manage such a feat it's you."

**DAY ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE:**

She gropes for her phone, recognizing the ringtone (an acoustic cover of Cruisin' – Bonnie had changed it ages ago and Caroline had never switched it because she embraced her inner cheeseball). It's halfway through May, only two weeks into the summer wedding hell that Caroline endured annually, and she's already exhausted. Partially because she'd gotten home ridiculously late last night. Some of the wedding gifts had mysteriously disappeared and the mother of the bride (who'd been unpleasant the whole way through wedding planning) had thrown a fit and accused Caroline's team of being behind the theft.

In actuality it had been a drunken cousin with jealousy issues but had Caroline gotten an apology? Of course not.

She takes Mondays off throughout the summer, something Klaus knows. He's taken to calling once he's up, which usually falls in the early afternoon for her. On this particular afternoon she's in bed. Having completing a ton of errands throughout the morning she'd decided that she deserved a nap. Her greeting is slightly garbled, her half-asleep brain failing at actual words.

"Rough night?" Klaus asks, warm and a touch concerned.

Caroline flips over, bunching her hair up so it's off her neck, "When we get married it's not going to be in the summer. Leaving aside how tacky and overdone the whole June thing is I have too many bad associations now."

Klaus is silent for longer than he usually is and Caroline processes what she'd just said and cringes. They'd spent like a  _month_  in the same location. Had she just blurted out something about  _getting married_? Talk about getting ahead of herself.

"Not that I'm planning our wedding," she rushes out. "I don't have a scrapbook or anything. Because that would be weird. Especially since we live on different continents and haven't really discussed not living on different continents with any seriousness. Just that one time when you mentioned that you're not super opposed to maybe possibly living here someday since your job is more moveable than mine is and..."

"Caroline, take a breath, love," Klaus breaks in. He sounds amused which is way better than freaked out in Caroline's opinion. "I can't see you but I imagine you're close to turning blue."

She sits up, inhaling audibly while plucking nervously at her blanket, waiting for a response. When it comes it's not what she'd been expecting.

"It's been four months and I do believe I've  _finally_  convinced you that I'm in not looking for temporary. Well, slightly less than four months, I suppose. The first few days of the cruise when you were in deep denial about your raging attraction to me probably doesn't count."

That gets a laugh as Klaus had probably meant it to. "Thankfully my subconscious was on Team You."

"At least you  _finally_  admit it," Klaus teases.

"I knew the thing about the bed was stupid as soon as I blurted it out. I just don't believe in backing down."

"I've noticed. And can't deny that it's a trait I've come to enjoy."

Her heartbeat has slowed, her initial moment of panic completely gone with Klaus' lack of freaking out over her comment. He's remarkably good at calming her down something she never would have expected having listened to Rebekah rant about Klaus' tendency towards emotional stoicism. Maybe it was the trust thing again, maybe it's the fact that they've spent hours and hours on the phone in the months since they'd gone on vacation together as hostile acquaintances and come back significantly more than that.

It was easier to say some things when you didn't have to look at the person you were saying them to.

Klaus clears his throat and, if Caroline's not mistaken, there's a hint of his own nerves there. He's usually much better at concealing them. "Speaking of the possibility of relocating…"

They hadn't been, not really, but Caroline's too curious to point that out. "Hmm?" she prompts.

"I've been looking at houses. Fairly idly, mind you, as I obviously don't have a timeline just yet. I thought an actual yard might be nice, and I'd be fairly picky about a potential studio space."

"Ah yes," Caroline jokes, "You artists and your search for the perfect light."

"It's serious business," Klaus replies.

Caroline can't help smiling, her mood vastly lifted by this conversation. Something of a miracle, considering last night's disaster.

"My must have list is fairly short, I think. But I imagine you have a list of your own? A bathtub is a must, I assume."

She almost drops the phone.

Klaus isn't much of a babbler (probably a good thing considering  _she_  was) and he waits patiently while Caroline gropes for a response. "Um, what?" is what she manages and she's sure she'll kick herself for her lack of eloquence later.

Seriously, Klaus had to stop just dropping life changing word bombs all casual-like.

"I don't expect you'll move in right away, of course. But if I'm going to buy something I want my home to be a place where you feel like you  _could_  live. Assuming that we continue to get along as well as we have been once we're living in the same place."

God, it's probably a good thing he was doing this over the phone because Caroline's feeling a little watery-eyed and Klaus got weird with tears as she'd learned every time she got invested in a movie that ended not so happily. Klaus awkwardly patting her back had usually managed to sufficiently distract her.

She swallows hard, strives to seem as casual as he is, "I… do want a bathtub. I have strong feelings about closets. Storage space in general, actually. I'm anti-carpet and I've always wanted a place with a big porch."

"Noted," Klaus says. And she's pretty sure there's relief there. "What if I start sending you listings? I can tell you what I think, and you can tell me what you like and what you don't. I'm sure your commentary will be both entertaining and enlightening. And when I visit you in August we can maybe look at a few places in person?"

"Sounds great!" Caroline chirps, her excitement building. She's only ever rented but she watches a lot of HGTV. She's always kinda wanted to go to open houses, eat canapes and mentally critique other people's décor. Klaus has great taste and is not shy about mocking things he hates, two things she thinks are going to make him an ideal companion in house hunting.

It'll be something to look forward to during the next few weeks when bridezillas and overtaxed vendors are trying her patience.

When she hangs up she marvels at how  _not_  freaked out she is. They'd made plans to take a serious step and she was thrilled about it. It seemed that Klaus was right and her doubts about the future had been extinguished.

She simply no longer saw one where Klaus wasn't it for her.

**DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY:**

When Caroline picks up the phone it's obvious she's not at home, nor in her office. She rarely gets the opportunity for anything other than work and sleep lately, something he's certainly spent a fair amount of time fretting about (privately, of course) so Klaus is instantly curious. He hears street noises and she sounds slightly out of breath when she picks up. "It's me. How's your day going, love?"

"Hey, Klaus! Sorry, I can only talk for a minute. I'm meeting Enzo." Her voice drops to a whisper and her excitement is clear, "We're picking out a ring. He's nervous even though there's like zero chance of Bonnie saying no. It's so freaking  _cute_."

Klaus grins, pleased she's at least having a bit of fun, "Try to snap a picture of his face while you call him cute for me, yeah? I imagine that's a sight worth seeing."

Caroline laughs, "I'll do my best. He's super distracted so he might not notice my phone in his face. We've totally got this though. Bon's never returned a gift Enzo's gotten her and I've been subtly working her on this subject for  _forever_  and so I think we'll have no problem picking the right ring."

Klaus swallows a sound of amusement, "You, subtle?"

"Shut up," she tells him, though he cannot mistake the affection in it. "I can totally be subtle. And if I was maybe  _occasionally_  a little obvious it's not like Bonnie wasn't fully aware that this would happen someday. Enzo adores her, she's stupid for him, and they've had the talk. There are no spoilers here."

"I'm sure whatever you help him select will be perfect."

"Damn right," Caroline proclaims proudly. "Like I'd accept anything less for my best friend. Oh, I see Enzo. I've gotta go. I'll call you when I get home and we can talk some more. You went with Henrik to get his shots for his trip today, right? I totally want to hear how the poor kid managed with the needles."

"Short answer, not well," Klaus tells her ruefully. "I'll tell you the whole story later. Have fun, sweetheart."

"I will. I love you. Bye!"

She hangs up quickly. Klaus is slower. It's the first time she's said  _that_  and he'd always assumed that Caroline would make a bigger deal out of such a thing. She'd had very specific requirements for what constituted a date so he's surprised an admittance of love doesn't deserve more ceremony.

At the very least shouldn't he have been allowed the opportunity to respond?

His phone buzzes in his hand, and this time it's Enzo's name flashing across the screen. Enzo who's never called him before, whose number he only has because Caroline had been worried about her phone dying when they'd been delayed on their flight in from Miami. "Hello?"

Enzo doesn't bother with pleasantries, "Gorgeous is having a meltdown. Talk her out of it, will you, mate?"

He only catches part of what Caroline says to Enzo, her words are clipped and forceful – just enough to get that it was definitely a threat – until he hears her voice again. "So, I totally did not mean to just  _blurt_  that out."

 _That_  made much more sense.

Caroline continues, speaking quickly, "And I  _meant_  it, I've been thinking it for a while, and I was going to actually  _say_  it when you visited next month. I was going to plan something awesome since I'm still annoyed that you surprised me with a better date on your very first try than anything I've managed to surprise you with…"

Klaus can't help but break in, "Caroline, if you're in a competition it's customary to let the other person  _know_  you're competing, is it not?" Though, he must admit,  _not_  telling him was very much in keeping with her win at all costs life philosophy.

"Ugh, now that you know I'm screwed," Caroline grumbles.

They've gotten alarmingly off topic. Not that Klaus really minds. Conversations with Caroline often stray in the most delightful directions and this one is no exception but he knows she's got something to accomplish, knows it's something that means a great deal to her, so he needs to let her know that he doesn't mind that she'd accidentally told him she loved him. That he is, in fact, thrilled by the words.

"Shall I wait until I see you to tell you I return the sentiment?"

"If you want," Caroline replies, though there's a slight tremble in it.

A pang of nerves hits him and Klaus suddenly feels a touch of sympathy for Enzo's plight. Knowing that Caroline loved him, that her response would be positive, didn't make the words any easier to say, as it turned out. Still, he's never been a coward, "I love you, Caroline."

She makes a low noise, unmistakably happy though it's clogged with emotion, "I love you too. Obviously. And I cannot believe I am having this conversation on a street corner while Enzo's pretending not to listen."

Klaus attempts to lighten the mood, "You'd give Bonnie a play by play no matter how it happened. This way Enzo can do it for you. It's efficient, since you're so busy lately. Besides, doing things in odd ways has worked out well for us, hasn't it?"

"It really has," Caroline agrees. She takes a deep breath, "Okay, now that that's settled, I really will let you go. Talk later?"

"I look forward to it."

She says it again, before she hangs up. Klaus knows that one hearing that she loves him will no longer be new but he assumes he'll enjoy the feeling, the warmth, that accompanies her declaration will be the same.

**DAY TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR:**

When she's working a wedding Caroline doesn't usually bother to go home to change. She'll usually hang her reception dress up in whatever office space she's commandeered at the venue, has become an expert at twisting her hair up into a serviceable updo and slapping on make up on the go. She's making an exception today because Klaus is  _here_.

She'd gotten the text that he'd landed safely when she'd discretely checked her phone while trailing the wedding party and ceremony guests outside. She'd been unable to help the smile that had been perma glued to her face afterwards. No one had commented and Caroline supposed she was lucky she was at a wedding and happiness was to be expected.

She wouldn't risk ducking out if she didn't have her very favorite minions on the job (or if she was dealing with a higher maintenance client) but the stars had aligned today.

Letting herself into her apartment she's practically vibrating with excitement. She and Klaus talked and texted pretty much daily, Skyped at least twice a week but that was a poor substitute for physical contact. She'd stolen a couple of his shirts when she'd visited him but the scent had faded. She missed being able to  _touch_  him.

And she  _really_  missed him touching her. Almost five months of DIY orgasms was  _way_  too many when you had a hot boyfriend with serious skills in that arena.

Stupid Atlantic Ocean.

Klaus is in her kitchen, appears to be making a sandwich, and his expression shifts from shock to elation quickly as he takes her in.

Caroline knows she should probably ask him how his flight was but her brain short circuits and all she can think about is getting closer.

She's never been quite so thankful that her place is small.

She's in the kitchen in four long strides, is reaching for him with another half-step. Klaus gets onboard quickly, dipping his head to meet her mouth as she surges into him, twining her hands in his hair. She doesn't waste time with preliminaries, moulding her body to his as she teases his mouth open with hot strokes of her tongue. He's every bit as greedy, hands running up and down her back as the kiss turns frantic, drawing her as close as he can manage with layers of fabric still between them.

Their clothing quickly becomes stifling, and unnecessary, and Caroline reaches for the hem of Klaus' t-shirt, drags her hands up his torso as she pushes it up. He tugs it the rest of the way off, huffing out a breathless laugh when their mouths have to part, "I take it you've missed me?" he drawls. "I'm flattered."

Ugh, his ego was something else.

Caroline takes a quick glance behind her, ascertains that there's nothing breakable on the kitchen counter. She probably doesn't actually have time for this, but there's no way she's not going to do it. Sadly, a bed will have to wait. She takes a step back and tugs down the zipper of her dress, pushing it down and off her hips. She's wearing some excellent lingerie – blush colored since her dress was pale purple, featuring some very delicate (and transparent) lace. Klaus' visible swallow as he takes her in is gratifying.

As is the strangled moan that gurgles out of him when she runs her hand over his cock, currently straining the zipper of his jeans. "Don't act like you haven't missed me too."

The stroke is a tease, and he sways as she pulls away. Caroline boosts herself onto the counter, spreading her legs to make space for Klaus who's quickly pressed up against her again. He nuzzles her throat, kisses her shoulder as he slips her bra straps to the side, his other running up her thigh. She shudders when his thumb strokes over her covered folds. Her words come out breathless, "I seriously just meant to stop by and say hi. But I need you. Is that okay?"

Klaus pulls back to shoot her an incredulous look, and Caroline assumes that means he has no qualms about with what they're about to do. Though, to be fair, it's far from the first time they've had sex on a kitchen counter top. They've just never done it while on a time crunch.

He gets her bra off, flings it carelessly to the side, his mouth immediately hot on her nipple as he slips her panties to the side and teases her entrance. She's already a little wet and once his thumb is slick it moves up, finding her clit and circling, the pressure exactly how she likes it. She leans her head back on the cabinet behind her, biting her lip and whining when he slips two fingers inside of her. He curls them, searching for the spot that always makes her thighs shake, his thumb moving rhythmically over her clit, as his mouth drags up her neck. Klaus is breathing heavily, she can feel his racing heart where they're pressed together and Caroline grips his shoulders as her hips twitch, chasing the best angle. Klaus, bless him, doesn't tease her, though she suspects he'll make a point to do so later.

She might have bought a couple things, the kind that came discretely packaged in an unmarked box, that will help him drive her insane and she's been drifting off into daydream land thinking about further  _experimentations_  all too often lately.

The thought makes her hotter, ramps up the tension building low in her belly. She's soon clenching down on Klaus' fingers as he begins murmuring promises and encouragements in her ear. She falls apart with a sharp cry, slumping forward and reaching blindly for Klaus' belt, hungry for more. He helps, his hands steadier than hers. Klaus hisses out a curse when she slips her hand inside his boxer briefs, wrapping her fingers around his cock and stroking the best she can with him still struggling to disrobe. He's thick and hard against her palm and she rubs her thumb over the tip of him, relishing the stiffening of his frame. His voice is rough, "You need to stop that, sweetheart. It's been  _months_  and I refuse to come in your hand."

She pouts and reluctantly pulls away, lifting her hips so she can peel her underwear off. Klaus manages to kick his jeans away, grasps her knees to urge her to twine her legs around his hips. She reaches for him, wanting his skin on hers. His hoarse groan is muffled against her shoulder as he pushes inside of her.

Caroline claws at his back, needing him closer, tightening her thighs, savoring the stretch of him inside of her. "God," she whimpers, "I forgot how  _good_  this is."

"Unacceptable," Klaus grits out, withdrawing slowly only to snap his hips into hers again. She hadn't  _meant_  her words to be a challenge, but she can't be upset that Klaus takes it as one, not when he seems so determined to make her come again. He watches her face carefully, makes adjustments until her vision is hazy and she can barely manage a coherent word. He lifts one of her hands from his shoulder, setting it between them, leaning back to give her room. He watches avidly as her fingers rub just above where they're joined, and she's  _so_  close. "Touch yourself, love," he breathes.

She moans and presses harder, "Klaus. I'm…"

He presses his forehead to her shoulder, "That's it, Caroline. Come. Let me feel it."

His arm wraps around her hips, lifting her slightly and it's the push she needs. Caroline's back arches and she cries out, shaking in Klaus' arms. He utters a low curse and she feels him let go, his hips pressed tightly to hers as he shudders.

She slumps against him, spent but in the best possible way. Caroline runs her fingers through the curls at the base of his neck, sighs with contentment as he traces patterns down the damp skin of her back. "It sucks that we don't have time to cuddle," she complains. "I missed that almost as much as the orgasms."

Klaus makes a noise of agreement, leaning over to drop a kiss on her temple as he pulls back. He stretches to reach the nearby roll of paper towels as his cock begins to slip out of her and together they manage a hasty clean up.

He helps her off the counter once he's pulled his jeans up, tipping his head in the direction of her room. "I'll let you go change. Alone, so I won't tempt you into ravishing me again."

Caroline scoffs, shoving him playfully, "You liked it."

Klaus eyes have dropped, and he's shamelessly watching her bare breasts. Once upon a time she might have felt self-conscious standing naked, in her kitchen, in the middle of the day. It's not really possibly for her to feel anything less than confident, not when Klaus has made it abundantly clear that he likes every inch of her. "Mmm, I certainly did. I look forward to returning the favor when you get home from work tonight. Assuming, of course, that you're not too tired."

The look he gives her makes it very hard for Caroline to walk away.

Being a responsible adult was the worst.

Later, she finds that she  _is_  too tired (the product of a last minute mix-up with the caterers that had been a real bitch to straighten out) and that Klaus isn't in a much better state, his time zone hopping having caught up with him. He's dozing when she walks into her room but he shifts to pull her into his arms when she crawls under the covers, mumbling a question about the wedding.

He's fast asleep within a couple of sentences.

Caroline doesn't mind. It's impossible to be miffed, not with Klaus next to her, in her bed, when he's been thousands of miles away for far too long.


	16. Epilogue (Three)

**DAY TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE**

She cracks her eyes open, squinting at the clock on her nightstand. The display tells her the alarm won't go off for another twenty-three minutes. She closes her eyes again, silently cursing the extra ungodly hour. Caroline's never claimed to be a morning person, most of her friends would laugh at her if she attempted it, though lately the AM has had some appeal. She lets out a contented hum as she sinks back into her pillow, tugging the sheet up higher. Klaus, the reason waking up has become slightly less of a chore, stirs next her. He fits his body more snugly to hers, his hand slipping under her top to rest heavily on her stomach. She stills, turning to eye him suspiciously, but there's no telltale movement behind his closed eyelids and his hand doesn't attempt to wander. For once he's actually asleep.

She's  _maybe_  a little disappointed by that. Twenty three minutes wasn't  _ideal_  but she was confident they could make the most of it.

Though she can't blame him for being tired. Caroline certainly is. It's the last long weekend of the summer and she's been slammed preparing for back to back weddings. Klaus has been mostly left to entertain himself while visiting and Caroline feels kind of terrible about neglecting him even though there isn't anything she can do about it.

He hasn't complained, has been amusing himself by exploring the area and getting familiar. Sometimes Caroline can't believe that he's  _actually_  moving to be with her, that he seems thrilled to be doing so.

Despite understanding her work commitments Klaus had made it clear that he's been missing her company. She'd almost had a heart attack last night when she'd looked up and caught sight of him, smirking and dressed to the nines. Klaus, Enzo and Bonnie had snuck into the reception of last night's swanky affair – black tie, open bar and some of the best food Caroline had ever sampled – and Klaus had managed to coax her into a dance, teasing that he was beginning to forget what she looked like.

She'd been a little worried, had been stiff and formal as they'd taken to the floor, but Klaus had quickly managed to distract her, both with his above average dance skills and how good he'd looked in a tux. She'd allowed herself to relax, could grudgingly admit that nothing would blow up or burn down if she put down her clipboard for  _one_  song.

She'd drawn the line at a second, even after Klaus had deployed maximum dimple.

Later, she'd spied him talking to the drunken groom. She'd made her way over, slightly panicked that Klaus had been made as a wedding crasher but he'd caught her eye and shaken his head slightly. Caroline had lingered and shamelessly eavesdropped, grudgingly impressed by what she'd heard.

Klaus' talents for subterfuge truly were something to marvel at.

He'd somehow managed to convince the groom that they knew each other, that they were old college teammates. Caroline hadn't caught the sport (on the way home Klaus had assured her he'd done some googling about the happy couple – if she hadn't been so sleepy she would have taken more time to process how hot it was that he'd  _researched)_ but they'd been laughing and chatting like they actually  _were_  old friends. Given the size of the guest list, the potency of the whiskey they'd stocked the groomsmen's rooms with, and Klaus' ability to be annoyingly charming, Caroline hadn't been all that surprised by the ruse's success.

He'd insisted on driving her home, having caught a ride to the venue with Enzo and Bonnie. Caroline had to admit that being able to kick off her shoes and doze in the passenger side had been way better than singing loudly to pop songs with the windows rolled down to ensure she stayed awake - her usual routine for heading home after a long day and a late night.

Hoping into the shower with Klaus, as quick and unfortunately businesslike as it had been, before crawling into bed had also been a marked improvement over her the typical post-event wind downs. Months ago, when she'd been freaking out over the room mix up, had someone told her that hanging out in bed with Klaus would become one of her very favorite things, Caroline would have insisted they be checked for a concussion. She might have even suggested an exorcism, so crazy and unnatural would she have found the idea.

She's really glad her past self was totally wrong about Klaus, gladder still that he'd been so determined to pick away at her defenses. Waking up with him is better than waking up without him and she's looking forward to doing it every day. Has accepted that she wants mornings like this to be a part of her everyday routine as soon as possible.

Behind her Klaus shifts, his hand flexing on her stomach. "Time is it?" he asks, scratchy and thick and nearly unintelligible.

Caroline lets out a groan, pointing her toes in a stretch, "Too early. But I have to get up."

He releases her, flopping onto his back. When she glances over her shoulder he's got his arm thrown across his face, "Must you?"

"Yep. I've got pews to beflower, ribbons to fluff. A mother of the bride and a step monster to keep on opposite sides of the room."

"And minions to terrify," Klaus teases, a smirk curling his lips. "I know that's your favorite part."

He's not looking at her, still drowsing. Caroline takes the opportunity to brush her fingers over the spot on his side where he's ticklish, smiling impishly when he jerks and tosses her an accusing glare.

He'd totally deserved to be tickled and he knew it.

**DAY TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX**

He's been looking for a way to extricate himself from an irksome conversation and the buzzing of his phone provides the perfect opportunity. He and Caroline were at an open house and, after making small talk with the real estate agent, his name had been recognized by an older man who lived in the neighborhood. The man professed to be an art connoisseur, was very familiar with Klaus' work and was asking questions about some pieces that Klaus honestly had little recollection of.

Really, the text is a blessing. He likes this house a great deal, is fairly certain Caroline does too, and making an enemy in the neighborhood was probably unwise. Klaus attempts an apologetic expression, "Sorry, I've been waiting for this message. My agent. I've got to respond immediately."

He doesn't wait for a reply, merely ducking his head and focusing on his phone as he heads for the staircase, rereading the text as he goes as if it were a  _very_  important one.

It's not particularly long though it is a bit puzzling. It's not from Marcel but from Caroline. Klaus has no idea why she's texting him to meet her in the master bath but he can't say he's not intrigued. He can't help but glance around furtively as he crosses the threshold of the master bedroom, half-expecting someone to stop him. The house looks barely lived in and he assumes the former owners have already moved out (though it's possible that they're just the tidiest people on the planet). It's still an odd feeling to be wandering around an unfamiliar home. The door to the bathroom is slightly ajar and he eases it open.

Only to have to press his lips together to keep from laughing when he spies Caroline sprawled out in the empty tub. He can just see the top of her head over the rim, her wrists resting on either side. The sandals she'd worn are discarded on the floor.

The tub is an enormous claw foot thing, planted next to a large window. He's noted it on the tour, assumed Caroline would like it. It seems he'd underestimated the bath's appeal. He slips into the room, shutting the door and making sure the lock clicks into place. Caroline startles, tilting her head, a slightly guilty expression on her face. It brightens when she sees him, melting into a grin, "So you managed to tear yourself away from your fan?"

He pins her with an unimpressed look, "I could have used a hand, sweetheart. He was asking me rather probing questions about my mental state five years ago."

"Sorry," she says, sounding anything but, "the realtor was occupied with the snack table so I had to take my chance."

"To become better acquainted with a bath tub?"

Caroline's hand lifts, her finger curling to beckon him over, "Yup. It's magical. Come here and I'll show you."

Well, who was he to refuse such an offer?

He follows her lead and slips off his shoes. Caroline doesn't make any move to sit up, grasps his wrist to tug him down in front of her. He's a bit stiff when she wraps her arms around him but she persists until they're reclining, her chin resting on his shoulder. "Now, imagine we're naked," she murmurs, brushing her lips across the side of his neck.

He squeezes her knee in warning, letting his fingers linger and stroke her bare calf, "Probably not the best idea considering there's more than a dozen strangers downstairs." Not to mention the fact that there was only a fairly flimsy lock separating them from said strangers.

He feels her lips curl into a smile and her palms run across his chest. She continues, her voice pitched low and enticing. "The lights are dim, we've got candles, wine. Hot water, maybe some bubbles. Doesn't that sound nice? Relaxing?"

"Nice, perhaps. But I don't imagine I'd feel particularly  _relaxed_  in such a scenario."

He feels the faint scrape of her teeth as her hands drift lower, under the hem of his shirt. "Okay, fine, be difficult. How about hot bathtub sex  _then_  relaxing?"

Klaus pretends to think it over, "I suppose that would be acceptable."

As always, Caroline is quick to call his bluff. "Well, if it's  _such_  a hardship we don't have to do it." She gestures to the glassed in shower across the room. It takes up the whole of one wall, a bench tucked in the corner where the roof slants. It's also rife with possibilities, and several scenarios flit through Klaus' mind, none of which will involve conserving water. "There are totally options. You could shower. I could  _watch_  you shower from the comfort of this awesome bathtub."

That hadn't been on Klaus' mental list but he admits it has potential. He files it away and focuses on the more pressing matter, twisting so that he can look at her, "You really like this house?"

Caroline's eyes are bright, excited. "I do. Do you?"

"It's a bit smaller than I'd wanted."

Caroline rolls her eyes, "Yes, I know you're obsessed with square footage since it's affordable here. I really don't want to clean a McMansion, Klaus."

He refrains from pointing out – once again – that he's more than fine with hiring someone to come in to clean. His place in London had been easy enough to keep up, a single bedroom and bathroom, a tiny kitchen and a living area that he alone occupied had never become overly messy and he'd had a cleaning service in weekly. Caroline hadn't been overly keen on the idea, had said that she liked things done a certain way and wouldn't be able to resist the urge to re scrub things that someone they hired had already gone over.

"I like the yard," he says. "And the neighbors aren't overly close."

"There's plenty of space to have people over. There are extra bedrooms. I know you want Henrik to be able to visit and I'd like to coax my mom to take a longer stretch of time off to come up here from time to time."

"All true."

"There isn't anywhere for you to paint," Caroline points out. "But I think the back bedroom might have potential. The house across the street has a walkout deck upstairs in the front, did you see? If we did something like that you'd have more room and it would be brighter. We could do an all seasons screened in porch underneath."

He likes that idea quite a bit, makes a mental note to look into the things they would need to do to make it happen. "Are you sure you want to dive into a renovation? Those shows you insist on watching have led me to believe that's a terrible thing for a pair to endure."

"Um, bickering is kind of our thing. It's inevitable. Besides, relationship drama on reno shows is like 70% faked for the cameras. This house is under budget. You should totally get an awesome studio if I am getting a magical bathtub and great closets. And I kind of hate the kitchen cabinets so they'd have to go anyway. Plus, we need a better fence if we're going to get a dog."

"Oh, we're getting a dog now, are we?" he teases.

"Yup. Maybe a cat too. I have it on good authority that you're a secret softy who loves animals and I've always wanted a pet."

"Whose 'good authority?'" Klaus wonders though he's fairly certain he could get the answer in fewer than three guesses.

"Bekah."

As he'd expected.

"Plus you always pet dogs we meet when we're out," Caroline points out. "That's kind of a giveaway."

Klaus refrains from pointing out that it's usually Caroline who stops people and asks to meet their dogs. He adds shelters and dog breeds to his list of things to look into before he gets to his feet, grasping Caroline's hands to pull her up. "It sounds like you're planning on moving in."

A brief flash of nerves is visible on her face and her eyes drop. She takes a deep breath, a hint unsteady, before she looks at him again. "I kind of want to buy it together."

A burst of pleasure hits him and Klaus smiles. Caroline's hands twist together and she's talking again, at a rapid clip, before he can express how thrilled he is by the news. "I know you said you didn't expect me to live with you right away but I think I want to. No, I  _know_  I want to. I don't really want to waste any more time, you know? Maybe it's a smidge fast but I'm pretty sure I've spent more time talking to you in the last seven months than I have with like 90% of the people I know, so…"

Klaus buries his hands in her hair, slants his lips over hers to stem what he's sure will be an avalanche of words. He doesn't need them. Caroline makes a soft noise of complaint, but she doesn't attempt to push him away, rising up on her toes to meet his kiss. He tastes her for a long, luxurious moment before pulling back, is gratified to note that all traces of worry have faded from her face. She feigns annoyance even as she loops her arms around his neck, "You know, sometimes you're going to just have to let me get my whole speech out. You can't just make out with me every time I have the urge to ramble."

"A speech?" Klaus asks. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

"Since we started trading listings back and forth," Caroline admits, and Klaus could not be more delighted with that information. That Caroline's put weeks of thought into this means it's more than an impulse, it means she's  _sure_. "I met with a very nice lady at my bank last week to talk about the numbers. I told her your budget. Add that to the amount they'd approve me for, which was  _ridiculous_  by the way, and we can more than afford some renovations to make this place perfect."

"Then I guess we're going to make an offer on a house, aren't we?"

Caroline's eyes widen, "Just like that?"

"I think this one feels right, don't you? Though, if you'd like, we can make a pro con list or twelve and sleep on it. But I want this one. I think we should go for it. Take a chance, Caroline."

She wavers for only the barest seconds. Klaus knows he probably shouldn't have mentioned lists – Caroline was inordinately fond of them. She straightens her shoulders, nods decisively. "I want this one too."

Klaus climbs out of the bathroom and Caroline follows, bending to slip on to her sandals. "Then let's go back down. Hopefully they've noticed our absence and the competition will have thinned if they think we've been defiling the bathroom."

The back of her hand connects with his stomach, "We haven't been gone  _that_  long."

"No, but by the time you reapply your lipstick and repin your hair we'll have been gone long enough."

Caroline's eyes narrow and grow calculating. She lifts her hands to her hair, disheveling her curls even further. Klaus lifts an eyebrow in question and she shrugs, "You have a point about the competition."

Klaus hides a smile as they make to rejoin the people congregated downstairs and he notes the speculative looks they're sent – some amused, some bordering on scandalized. Caroline's all smiles, making a beeline for the real estate agent, paying no mind to the stares and whispers.

Her competitive streak might occasionally vex him but Klaus adores it all the same.

**DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX**

Caroline jerks awake when the light is flicked on, a pang of alarm streaking through her, right before the quilt is yanked off. A voice, one familiar (and, at this particular moment, super annoying) sings out, "Rise and shine!"

Oh good. The intruder wasn't here to murder her so she could probably go back to sleep.

Caroline groans, buries her head in her pillow. "Ugh, why," she grumbles.

Rebekah persists in being overly loud, "Happy birthday! Get up."

Caroline slaps a palm over her eyes, relaxing (now that she knows she's not about to be murdered in her bed) as she gropes for the blanket. "Rebekah," she whines. "It's early. How did you even get in here? You know what, never mind I don't care. Just go away."

Rebekah seems to have something else in mind. Caroline hears the scuff of her shoes against the floors, winces as the curtains in her room are flung open even though the light streaming in isn't all that strong. "No can do, I'm afraid. We've got a bit of a drive and I want to get some shopping done today."

Caroline blows her hair out of her face, pushing herself up to rest against the headboard, glaring at Rebekah resentfully. "I have no idea what you're talking about. The only thing I'm doing today is dinner and drinks with you guys."

"Right. Well, I thought that was a rather dull way to celebrate your birthday and it seems like Nik agreed." Rebekah grins, lowering her voice tauntingly, "He's been  _very_  sneaky."

That clears the last of the fuzz from Caroline's brain. She swings her legs off the side of the bed, a bubble of excitement making her heart beat a little faster. "Is he…"

Rebekah makes a face, shakes her head ruefully, "No, sorry. I suppose I worded that badly. He couldn't make the trip. He's got a bundle of things to wrap up. Lawyers, leasing agreements, all sorts of boring technicalities to attend to."

"Oh," Caroline tries not to let her disappointment show – she knows just how much Klaus is dealing with, that moving his life across an ocean took time and effort. She'd spoken to him late last night and, had she been more alert, she would have realized that Klaus being in Virginia would have broken the laws of logic, not to mention those of time and space.

"But," Rebekah breaks in, setting her hands on Caroline's shoulders and turning her to face her closet, "We've been conspiring behind your back for weeks."

"Yeah, that makes me feel better," Caroline mutters dryly.

Rebekah ignores her sarcasm, "Stefan's waiting in the car, and we're meeting up with Bonnie and Enzo up in half an hour. Pack a bag."

"So I get to be the fifth wheel?" she asks. Rebekah really wasn't doing much in the way of selling this trip.

"Not really. Katherine and Elijah are driving up as well. I've even agreed to tolerate Elena Gilbert for a spa day and dinner. I'll strive to be civil. And Lexi will be coming along too."

Okay, maybe that didn't sound so bad. Caroline slides open the door to her closet, studying the inside critically. "I'm going to have to lodge a complaint about how little notice I was given. I have very particular packing standards. I like lists."

She can hear Rebekah making herself comfortable at the dressing table. "Nik said you'd say something like that. I'm supposed to remind you that you know very well that spontaneity won't kill you. And also point out that he's still winning. Though he wouldn't tell me  _what_  he's winning."

That pulls a laugh from Caroline. "It's kind of an informal contest thing. Who can plan the best date. This totally doesn't count though since he's not here."

"Thank god," Rebekah says. "I was half afraid the answer would leave me scarred for life."

Caroline smirks. She forces it down before she turns to Rebekah, adopting a wide eyed look of innocence, " _That_  contest is totally PG. There's this other one…"

Rebekah slaps her hands over her ears, glaring daggers at Caroline. "One more word," she threatens, "and I won't hand over the itinerary Nik insisted I print for you."

"Ooh, gimme," Caroline reaches out, wriggling her fingers eagerly. "My lips are zipped about all the ways I've defiled your fave brother."

"Caroline," Rebekah's nose wrinkles in disgust. "Must you?"

"And I totally won't mention the defiling that may or may not have happened in the chair you're sitting in. Three times. Wait, four. And a half."

That gets Rebekah to her feet so quickly Caroline's surprised she doesn't pull anything. It's a struggle to keep from laughing and she presses her lips together to stem the sound. Rebekah fishes a folded piece of paper from her pocket, flinging it in Caroline's direction. "I'm only giving this to you because it's your birthday. And because I don't want to be seen with you if you're horribly underdressed."

She storms off into the living room. Caroline hears the TV click on. She debates pushing Rebekah further, tossing an insinuation about the couch (that would totally be true) through the door. Then Rebekah calls, "Tick tock, Caroline," and she remembers she's on a deadline.

Failing to meet those is against everything Caroline stands for.

She manages to get her things packed with a two minutes to spare, mentally pats herself on the back as she trails Rebekah out to the car. Stefan's got a hand hanging out of the driver's side window, his head tipped back against the seat. Caroline slaps the door (gently because Stefan would murder her if she dented one of his precious babies) and he jolts. "Hiya," she chirps.

He checks his watch, "Damn it, Caroline now I owe Klaus fifty bucks."

"Stefan!" Caroline exclaims,  _highly_  offended. "You bet against me?"

He offers her a smile she thinks is supposed to be placating, "No. I bet  _with_  your not so inner psychotic control freak. Who I know oh so well."

Caroline huffs, leaning in closer. Rebekah climbs into the passenger seat, interrupting before Caroline can reply, "Stefan. Honestly. You probably should have opened with 'Happy Birthday."

Stefan looks briefly embarrassed, "Oops?" he offers. "Happy birthday, Care." He smiles, more sincerely and Caroline finds herself returning it.

She  _supposes_  she can be magnanimous. Especially since, from the looks of it, Klaus and her friends had planned a kick ass birthday weekend.

It kind of sucked that Klaus couldn't be her to help her celebrate but Caroline had plenty more birthdays to look forward to. He'd be around for the rest of them.

**DAY THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN**

When Klaus unlocks the door and surveys the front foyer he's wondered if it's possible that the boxes have multiplied. Getting to the kitchen will require some careful maneuvering.

There are stacks of moving boxes  _everywhere_. Caroline's are carefully labeled, piled with his in neatly ordered clusters. Intermingled with their belongings there are packages they'd ordered over the last two weeks, things they'd bought in anticipation of decorating more rooms than either of them had ever had before. It's truly an alarming amount of stuff. They'd arranged for everything to be delivered today and Klaus thought unpacking and getting the new and the old situated was going to be an ordeal.

Albeit one he's rather looking forward to.

He'd gone out to pick up food, had stopped for some champagne because he thought this evening deserved to be treated like an occasion. Caroline's stacking dishes in a cupboard when he enters the kitchen and she pauses when she spots him. "I found plates," she tells him. "And forks."

Klaus hefts the bottle, "What about glasses? A corkscrew?"

Caroline whirls, "Ooh, good thinking. There was a corkscrew with the forks. And I  _just_  saw my champagne glasses." She rummages for a few moments while Klaus sets the food on the island. He begins unloading the boxes of Chinese takeout, smiling at her dramatic exclamation of, "Ah ha!" when she finds the correct box. She joins him with all the necessary utensils, "That smells delicious and I am starving."

"It's been a long day," Klaus agrees. They hadn't had to do much in the way of physical labor, having sprung for full service movers. Caroline had been a dervish, flitting in and out of rooms and making sure everything ended up where it belonged unharmed, that nothing ended up scratched or broken. Klaus had enlisted Stefan and Enzo in helping him set up the bedroom furniture so he and Caroline would at least have somewhere comfortable to sleep tonight.

"But a good day," Caroline says firmly. She hands him a plate, begins to examine the food he'd selected. "I thought we'd eat on the porch since anything resembling a chair is in pieces and the couches are wrapped. I tossed a couple blankets out there."

"Romancing me, are you?" Klaus teases.

"You're the one who sprung for the champagne," she points out. "Don't be mad I'm beating you at your own game."

"I wouldn't say  _beating_.

Caroline laughs, "No, you wouldn't."

She piles food on her plate, rounding the island when she's done. She snags the champagne glasses with her free hand and bumps him with her hip as she passes. "Don't worry, Klaus, I don't mind your inability to admit defeat. It totally makes things more fun for me. I'll be generous and we'll call this one a draw."

"You're benevolence astounds me," Klaus tells her dryly.

"You're damn right it does!" she calls as she retreats from the kitchen. "Now, meet me on the porch and prepare to be amazed. Don't forget the booze!"

He quickly makes his own plate, his curiosity growing. He sees the light first when he turns, the soft glow that only comes from candles. He can tell Caroline's been busy when he approaches the doorway of the screened in porch. She hadn't stopped at blankets, had unearthed a pile of pillow – some new, some old – to make a comfortable resting spot on the floor, surrounded by candles of various shapes and sizes.

Caroline wriggles her eyebrows when he enters, "So? Does it pass your high romance bar?"

"It's amazing," Klaus says. "And this addition was a brilliant idea, sweetheart."

He imagines they'll spend a lot of time here, and he's very pleased with how his studio space has turned out, can't wait to get all his supplies unpacked. He hands her the champagne and gets himself settled.

Caroline beams, "I know! It might be my second favorite part of the house."

Klaus doesn't need to ask what her favorite part is. He's fairly certain he'll be coaxed into it later and that Caroline won't rest until she convinces him of the merits of baths.

"I think we should get a second little tree for in here," she says. "It'll look awesome all lit up when we have our party. I  _may_  have bought a few extra decorations in anticipation."

That likely explained why there are more packages than Klaus had anticipated.

"It's been ages since I've had a tree," he tells her. "My light stringing skills might be rusty."

"I have faith in you, Klaus. You're an artist. I've seen your work. I'm sure you can make anything pretty."

High praise from Caroline. They'd yet to spend a holiday together but, from their phone conversations and Rebekah's complaints, he'd gathered that she took special occasions  _very_  seriously. Klaus had never been overly fond of such celebrations, something Caroline was not so subtly aghast at. He's certain she'll be pulling out all the stops to make the coming Christmas one they'll remember. He expects more surprises like this one.

Klaus will just to have to figure out one or two of his own. He's not about to allow Caroline to pull  _too_  far ahead. The gloating would be unbearable.

**DAY THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY**

Caroline shaking a tiny bit as she climbs the stairs, trying to regulate her breathing. It's leftover adrenaline, a hint of anger. She'd fielded a call from one of her mom's deputies as she'd gotten home, had parked in the driveway to take the call. Seeing the name flash across the screen had been nerve wracking enough but the hemming and hawing he'd done after she'd snapped a greeting had made her panic grow. Worst case scenarios had flown through her head and a sob had built in her throat.

When he'd eventually stammered out that her mom was okay Caroline had been forced to bite her tongue to stop from unleashing a torrent of curse laden admonishments. Any idiot knew you were supposed to  _open_  such a call with an assurance. By the time he'd managed to spit out the details, that her mother had sustained minor injuries while responding to a domestic dispute, Caroline had been sweating and queasy, her limbs feeling weak as her body processed the confusing flood of emotions.

Klaus' car had been in the garage so she knew he was home, she'd dragged herself into the house, trying to get her brain to focus on everything she needed to do. There's music coming from the studio and Caroline pops her head in. Klaus is shirtless and paint streaked, a pair of ancient jeans sitting low on his hips, and any other day she'd linger a moment to enjoy the sight. Today she raps on the wall just inside the door to get his attention. He glances over, face creased in confusion, though that clears once he spots her. He turns slowly, "Is everything all right, love?"

Clearly the initial burst of panic and fear had left her looking a mess. She smooths her hair, grimacing at her visibly trembling hand, "I got a call. My mom got hurt."

Klaus' eyes widen in concern and he sets down everything he'd been holding hurriedly, crossing the room in a few quick strides. His hands hover over her shoulders and Caroline appreciates his concern for her pale blue blouse even if she could really use a hug. "Is she in the hospital? What happened?"

Caroline blows out a heavy breath, "She got knocked down. Hit her head and broke her arm. She'll be fine. They're going to keep her in the hospital overnight because of the concussion. I'm going to drive down there even though she'll be super cranky about it. I know her and I know she'll push herself harder than she should."

Klaus nods immediately, retreating to grab a rag and wipe his hands off. "Right. I'll hop in the shower first. Pack up what you need and then, while you're cleaning up, I'll get my stuff things. We can take the pup with us and I'll call Bekah and bully her into minding the cat. I assume you'll want to stay the weekend?"

Tears spring to Caroline's eyes and her next inhale is shaky with emotion. Klaus didn't often  _say_  'I love you' but he made it clear in so many other ways. This moment is one of them and she can't help but be a little overwhelmed at the fierceness of her feelings in response. She's a worrier, has a bad habit of taking care of other people and forgetting about herself. But Klaus clearly has that covered.

Klaus' eyes flash with alarm when he takes in her expression but he manages to get it under control. She flaps a hand near her eyes, willing them to dry, "I'm fine!" she manages. "It's just… you're…" Caroline flounders for several long moments. Finally she shakes her head and crosses the room. She wraps her arms around Klaus' waist, pressing her face into his shoulder. A little paint damage to her clothes was worth the comfort she felt pressed up against the warmth of him. "Thank you," she murmurs.

He cups the back of her neck gingerly, pressing his lips to her temple. "You don't have to thank me."

"I might have to later after you endure a weekend of my mother glaring at you with suspicion." Liz Forbes had heard Caroline's low opinion of Klaus a time or two over the years and she wasn't as willing to let it go as some people. She hadn't been able to really get to know him just yet, but Caroline was confident her mother would relax once she did.

"Nonsense," Klaus counters briskly, "perhaps this is the weekend I'll manage to charm her out of her misgivings."

"You  _are_  good at that," Caroline teases. "I think it's the dimples."

"Sadly I think you're mother's a bit less susceptible than you were to those."

Caroline snorts out a laugh and Klaus relaxes at the sound, his relief obvious.

Seriously, he could  _not_  do tears.

"Do you have any notes you'd like to offer? Helpful hints? You're very much alike, you and your mother."

She shakes her head, "Nope, I think you'll be good. You make me happy. Mom'll get onboard once she sees that."

"I imagine it might take a while. You have to have gotten your stubbornness from somewhere. But I'm not planning on going anywhere."

Caroline had known that, of course, but the casual statement warms her all the same. A little good news is welcome after her earlier scare and it helps her settle, calm. When she pulls back she wipes her hands across her face, "Okay. I'm going to grab that shower."

Klaus raises a brow, feigns an expression of shock, "No notes on my plan?" he teases. "Sweetheart, that's a first."

She rises up to press a kiss to his lips, lingering for a long moment, hoping the action conveys everything that she feels because she's still a little too raw to voice the enormity of them. She's worried and grateful and anxious but under all that she feels safe. Strong, even. There's a new confidence brimming in her. This incident is minor, her mother will be fine, will likely be grumpy about Caroline hovering and interrogating Klaus within twenty four hours. Other disasters will spring up, they're inevitable no matter how carefully Caroline plans her life. She knows Klaus will have her back then, just as she'd have his.

She's pretty sure that there's not a lot they can't handle if they tackle a problem together.

**DAY THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY NINE**

"Ugh, your sister is  _so annoying_ ," Caroline grouses, her head bent over her phone.

It's not a new piece of information for Klaus. He has a lifetime of evidence that Rebekah delights in being difficult. He's long since worked out the best ways to thwart her, to needle her in return. Caroline's still finding her own methods.

Rebekah and Caroline have spent the past few days finalizing a cruise itinerary. His sister had brought up the idea over Christmas, still bitter that she hadn't been able to enjoy her carefully planned holiday because of her accident. Klaus had been a bit reluctant, had wanted to whisk Caroline off somewhere new, just the two of them. Rebekah had gotten to Caroline first. Bekah had played the woe is me card, tugging on Caroline's sympathies. Then she'd begun expertly poking at Caroline's fond memories of the cruise she and Klaus had taken – the beautiful beaches, the variety of excursions, the opulence and convenience of the ship – managing to get Caroline onboard.

When faced with her excitement Klaus had caved. Decided that perhaps it was for the best, kismet in a way, considering he was planning on proposing soon.

He's been more active in helping to plan this cruise, wanting to set up the perfect moment, but he's largely stayed out of the current skirmish. If Rebekah sensed weakness from him she'd never back down.

Caroline's got her feet tucked under his thigh and he pats her shin in a manner he hopes is comforting. They'd settled down to continue their  _Game of Thrones_  rewatch (Caroline wanted to be prepared for the new season), but she hasn't been paying much attention. She's been glued to her back and forth with Rebekah, fingers flying over her phone's screen and muttering insults and outrages. "She's still trying to push rock climbing. I  _told_  her that she and Stefan could go without us but she won't let it go."

Klaus takes a sip of his beer, "Bekah's not really one to forget a grudge."

"And while I respect that as life philosophy this isn't one she's going to win to her satisfaction."

He suspected Rebekah wasn't so convinced of that. She's been sending him pictures of mountains for days. Had told him that Kol had offered to pay handsomely for a video of Klaus mid-panic attack. Klaus hadn't passed that information on to Caroline, of course. She'd likely drop all pretenses of civility and they'd already paid for the tickets. Klaus didn't think the cruise line's cancellation policy would apply in the case of an all-out war between a pair of soon to be sisters in law. "She wants me to have to face my fear and fail so she can gloat over it."

"Not on my watch," Caroline declares. "You did fine last year but this incline is nuts for any beginner and no one who's afraid of heights would be comfortable with it."

Her head snaps up suddenly, the pouf of hair gathered on top of her head bobbing at the sudden motion. Klaus turns to look at her, his curiosity piqued, and he finds a fairly devious smile curling Caroline's lips. It's not an expression that bodes well for Rebekah. "It was snakes, right? That's what Rebekah's afraid of?"

"Yes," Klaus says slowly.

"Even tiny harmless ones, if I remember the story correctly. And we're going somewhere where there are  _plenty_  of snakes."

Klaus shakes his head with a soft laugh, "True. And they tend to be large." They hadn't seen any such snakes on their last trip, not even on their outdoor excursions. That very well could have been because they hadn't been looking.

Judging from the glee on Caroline's face that's not going to be the case this time.

"Pretty sure some of them can kill people too," she chirps, tapping away at her screen. "And that's totally scarier. Are snake sanctuaries a thing? Maybe some kind of nature preserve? There's got to be something like that on our route."

"And here I thought you'd come to like Rebekah."

"I do. Mostly. But I like you more, duh. And if she messes with you she messes with me."

There's only one appropriate response to such a statement. Klaus sets his bottle on the coffee table, turning and tugging on Caroline's ankle until she sinks lower, sprawling across the sofa cushions. He shifts to loom over her, presses a kiss just below her jaw, taking an appreciative inhale of her skin. She tips her head back even as she giggles, groping above her to set her phone down. "So the whole knight and shining armor thing turns you on, huh? Should I see if they make slutty lingerie in chain mail?"

"That sounds terribly uncomfortable," Klaus notes.

Caroline threads her fingers through his hair, hitching her legs over his hip as he leisurely moves down. She's wearing an old tank top, one worn thin. The fabric is easily stretched aside as he begins to explore her collarbone with his tongue. "Newsflash, Klaus. Most of the lacy strappy sheer stuff solely meant to be worn pre-sex isn't made to be comfy."

"I appreciate your sacrifice," Klaus tells her, pulling her shirt down enough to reveal the slope of her breast.

She arches up into her mouth, a signal he's familiar with. Patience wasn't Caroline's strong suit. He brushes his lips over her nipple, teasing her with the hint of a touch. "The orgasms are an excellent token you your appreciation."

He lifts his head, gripping her hips to still there restless shifting, "That sounds like a hint, love."

Her eyes are heavy lidded when they meet his, her lips wet. It's one of his favorite versions of Caroline.

"Then  _take_  it," she says, her voice just beginning to thicken with want. "Like, now."

Klaus happily obliges, tugging her pajama pants lower, dragging his mouth down the newly revealed skin.

They'll get back to the research later, perhaps tomorrow because Klaus will surely need to move them to the bed once they've tested the limits of the couch. Together they'll find the perfect option to force Rebekah's hand. Against his and Caroline's combined capability for deviousness his sister won't stand a chance.

**DAY FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN**

An odd feeling drags Caroline from sleep and it takes her a long moment to figure out what it is. She's perfectly warm, the duvet pulled up over her shoulders protecting her from the chill coming in from the open windows. She's not alone, Klaus is beside her, one of her legs is thrown over his and she can feel his hand next to her hip. Squinting she turns her head to look at him only to see his eyes hastily close.

Well, that was weird. Klaus was pretty shameless about his tendency to creep on her in her sleep. She'd seen the sketchbook (all of the sketches), knew that he had one or two pics in his phone. He's been acting off for a couple of days, edgy and easily startled. She glances at the clock, sees it's nowhere near time for the alarm to go off.

They have to be at the airport at ten and Caroline was planning on sleeping as late as she could. She knows a nap on the plane is unlikely to happen, that she hasn't quite beaten her nerves about flying.

As much as she longs for it there's no way she's going to fall back to sleep without figuring out why Klaus is acting squirrelly. She's not totally clueless – Bonnie's recent digging had been a big fat clue about the reasons Klaus might be having an attack of the nerves.

If there was a sparkly ring in her future, the cruise would be a logical place to whip it out. Her subtle snooping hadn't yielded any velvet boxes but Klaus was crafty. He'd make sure she couldn't find it.

She kind of can't believe he'd have any doubts about her response but it was a  _big_  question, fraught with pressure. A big part of Caroline's career was built on crafting perfect weddings and people always wanted to hear the proposal story.

She couldn't wait to say yes.

Caroline slides across the mattress, bending her leg and curling it over Klaus' thighs as she cuddles closer. She rests her hand on his stomach, "Hey. I know you're awake. Wanna tell me why?"

He lets out a sleepy noise and Caroline scoffs. Klaus mumbles something unintelligible, apparently really committed to fake sleeping.

Caroline rolls her eyes, "Please. That was terrible." She props herself up on her elbow, staring down at him expectantly. Klaus seems unwilling to end his ruse, face stoically blank and eyes closed. She jostles him slightly, "Seriously? Are you  _trying_  to freak me out?"

That gets his attention. His eyes open, a slightly guilty expression in them. "You've nothing to be freaked out about."

"Really? You've barely been able to sit still when we're in the same room together for the last two days. You're constantly distracted. All that plays on a girl's insecurities."

He scrubs a hand over his face, "It's nothing like that, Caroline. I promise."

"And I believe you," Caroline says because, if she were being honest, she has very few Klaus-related insecurities left. "But something is up. And it's your job to be the super cool world traveler guy and distract me on the plane, remember? If you're all stressed I'll be all stressed. Plus, I really don't want you to be stressed. I love you and we're going on vacation and it's going to be awesome."

Klaus stares up at her for a long moment, and she can read the debate raging across his face easily enough. He'd never be an open book but when it was just the two of them she usually managed to read him. He seems to come to a decision, rolling away and sliding open the drawer on his bedside table. Caroline swallows quickly, feels her heart rate pick up. She presses her lips together to keep in the excited squeal that wants to burst out.

Suspecting was different than knowing. Spying the small box wrapped in Klaus' fingers, watching his expression turn nervous but hopeful, Caroline's entire body reacts. She tenses in a good way, her stomach fluttering with excitement. Klaus faces her, pulling her down so they're sharing his pillow. He reaches out, a fingertip grazing her chin.

Klaus clears his throat, "I hadn't quite worked out what I was going to say. I've been working on it."

A strangled laugh spills from her and she presses a hand to her mouth to muffle it. "It's okay. Preparation is sexy."

"You would think that," Klaus says, his lips curling in a smile that is all genuine adoration. He takes a deep breath and it's not altogether steady. "I love you, Caroline. I probably fell a little in love with you a little over a year ago in that bed on that cruise ship. And I fell a little more with every conversation we had when we came home. Moving here was an easy decision because I wanted nothing more than to spend my days and nights with you. Even when we argue, sometimes  _especially_  when we argue, there's nowhere else I want to be. There's nowhere else I'll ever want to be."

Caroline had expected to cry and for once Klaus doesn't look like a deer in the headlights when he notices. He cups her face, his thumbs gently wiping the tears away. She leans in, brushes a kiss over his lips. "Me too," she manages shakily. I love you. I love this life."

He smiles, shifting back slightly, fumbling with the box. "Will you marry me, Caroline Forbes?"

She's not entirely sure if she'd even waited for him to finish. The 'yes' that burst out of her had been on her lips before he'd managed the first syllable of the question.

He kisses her properly as soon as she says it, rolling her onto her back and smiling in to it. She forgets all about the ring as she sinks into him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders because she needs him closer. She's breathless when he pulls back with a gasp, resting his forehead on hers. "That was a really good speech," she tells him.

"I was going to take you on a picnic. Good wine, great food, beautiful scenery."

She shakes her head immediately. "This is perfect. I fell in love with you in a bed too, you know."

Klaus' eyes flash, a sure sign he's about to tease her. Caroline tugs his mouth back to hers before he can.

It takes her awhile to remember the ring. It's just a thing and, despite her fondness for shiny objects, it's not as important this closeness. She rests her hand over his heart, confirms that it's beating as rapidly as hers. She loves that Klaus is just as exhilarated by this moment, by the path they're about to travel.

The alarm startles them out of bed and when they realize they're missing something they begin a frantic search, laughing breathlessly, hair mussed and clothes askew. Klaus finds the ring, tucked between the mattress and the headboard, and offers it to her, slightly sheepish. "I think I was supposed to put it on your finger before kissing you."

She slips it on with an unconcerned shrug, admiring the way the faint light catches the diamond and the flanking sapphires. "Maybe we're doomed to be unconventional." Klaus' taste is flawless and it looks like it belongs on her hand.

"And you're fine with that?"

She pushes him on to the bed, climbing on his lap and looping her arms around his shoulders, mentally patting herself on the back for insisting they pack everything last night. She's happy to savor this, something that wouldn't be possible if they were scrambling to get out of the house. "It's worked out pretty well for us so far."

Klaus face grows serious, his hand rubbing circles on her back. "It will  _always_  work out for us, love."

It's a promise, one she trusts him to keep. One she makes in return, "Because we'll make sure of it."

**THE END.**


End file.
